


Mr. and Mr. Eames

by lolahardy



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassins & Hitmen, Domestic, M/M, Marriage, Soulmates, keeping secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-29
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-21 05:09:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1538867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolahardy/pseuds/lolahardy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Eames meet, fall in love and get married.</p><p>After five years of domestic bliss, they begin to discover they're keeping secrets from each other.</p><p>Dangerous secrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a verse based fully off the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith so any similarities are intentional!
> 
> Things have been changed obviously but the premise is pretty much the same. :3

Five Years Ago….  
  
  
It was a sweltering, hot day in Rio. Eames sat in a three star American tourist hotel bar, holding a scotch, the ice cubes clinking around as he ran his fingers along the edge of the glass. He was hot - it had been all day, and Eames sat in khaki cargos, a short sleeved white linen shirt that was open to reveal a white singlet. His aviator sunglasses hung on the front of the ribbed cotton undershirt, his hair was going in every direction from as many times as he ran his fingers through it and he felt the sweat along his brow and dripping down his back.  
  
The hotel barely had air conditioning - it felt more like a cool waft now and then, blowing across Eames’ bare arms. As he took a drink from his glass, he heard the racket of the Rio police and soldiers running through the lobby, questioning tourists in loud Portuguese. Eames looked up at the bar tender as he set his glass down and pointed to it. Once the bartender came over to him to top off his glass, Eames asked him,  
  
“What’s happening?”  
  
“Someone killed Drungo.”  
  
“Drungo? Oh, the guy in the papers?”  
  
The bartender nodded as he finished pouring the drink before walking away.  
  
Drungo, from what Eames read, was a powerful Brazilian drug lord; almost tyrannical in the way he wielded power over the slums and his employees. And now he was dead.  
  
Eames continued drinking his drink, pleased with the coolness, feeling a bit more relaxed despite the madness happening at his back. As he drank, someone else appeared at his side, getting the bartender’s attention. As he waited, Eames took a look, eyeing the tall slender guest. He looked like a lost teenager wearing fitted jeans and a thin white shirt, so flimsy that when he turned his body slightly to sit, Eames could see his nipples. His hair was short though wavy, falling around his eyes until he shoved it away and ordered a drink.  
  
Gin, straight up and as he reached for his wallet, Eames noted the bracelet around his wrist, black beads, shiny and tied together around his delicate wrist bones. He looked at Eames then and Eames smiled, pleased to get a smile back - a dimple showing up. He was about to ask him for his name when a bellhop tapped his shoulder. Eames turned and saw the bellhop as he asked,  
  
“Yes? What is it?”  
  
“The police are rounding up single tourists. Are you alone sir?”  
  
Before Eames responded, the man at his side said,  
  
“No, we’re together.”  
  
The bellhop nodded and went to report the news as Eames looked at his drinking partner as he said,  
  
“Cheers.”  
  
He nodded as they tipped their glasses to each other and then took a drink.  
  
“What’s your name, love?”  
  
“Arthur. You?”  
  
“Eames.”  
  
They finished their drinks with minimal talk between them before Arthur suggested they head to Eames’ room before the police changed their minds about them. Eames agreed.  
  
+  
  
In Eames’ room, they both leaned against the door, hearing the heavy footfall of the police going up and down the hallway, occasionally stopping at a door to talk to any single tourist.  
  
“Drungo ran this providence for years. They’ll chalk it up to a vendetta even though the CIA has been trying to pop this guy for years.”  
  
Arthur looked at him with a sly smile as he said,  
  
“How do you know that?”  
  
“I read the papers, darling.”  
  
They share the room for the night, sharing a bottle of tequila as they talked. Eames finds himself smitten and relieved when he finds that Arthur is well over twenty-one. Arthur seems to respond eagerly, flirting back with him, exchanging subtle touches and smiles. Despite having met that night and being forced to share a room, Eames did not find it uncomfortable to have Arthur there. In fact, he was relieved; especially when Arthur dozed off and looked especially lovely as he lay on his side of the bed and Eames on the other. They slept in their clothes, on top of the sheets, the room fan doing its best to keep up with the feeble air conditioning and still, it was the best night’s sleep Eames ever had.  
  
That night, after Arthur snuck back to wherever he was staying (he had confessed to Eames he wasn’t even staying in that hotel), he had returned with some luggage and changed his clothes, ready to go out that night.  
  
They headed to a nearby bar where it was loud and outdoors, the beach just a stone throw away. It was still hot, but Eames could hardly think of the weather as he looked at Arthur, the both of them sitting at the bar, drinking and looking at each other as they tried their best to talk over the volume of the thumping bass of the music.  
  
“I was lucky I was right outside on the street when the police came around.”  
  
“Trust me, I’m the lucky one.”  
  
Arthur smiled, both dimples appearing on his face as Eames grinned back at him. The bartender poured them more shots as Eames said,  
  
“To dodging bullets.”  
  
“To dodging bullets,” Arthur repeated.  
  
Eames licked his hand. Arthur did the same as Eames picked up the tiny saltshaker that had been placed near them when they started to drink. He sprinkled the salt on Arthur’s hand, and then his own as they both licked it off and knocked back the shots. As they each picked up the wedges of lime to bite down on, their eyes locked and Eames bit his bottom lip as he dropped the lime on the bar counter. He slid his hand over Arthur’s and Arthur smiled at him as Arthur turned his body towards him, letting his knee slide against Eames’.  
  
“You’re a good sport about letting a complete stranger stay in your room.”  
  
“When the stranger is as lovely as you are, I’m prone to being good about things like that.”  
  
Arthur laughed as Eames continued.  
  
“Besides, you seem harmless enough.”  
  
“Don’t be so sure about that.”  
  
Eames laughed now and Arthur joined him.  
  
The rest of the night was spent like that, flirting and taking shots, and before Eames lost himself in a fog of lust, he was pretty sure he was falling in love.  
  
+  
  
They returned to Eames’ hotel room and through the haze of alcohol, Eames undressed himself, watching with delighted eyes as Arthur undressed too. He watched as Arthur pushed down his fitted jeans after he kicked off his shoes, and then pulled up his shirt, throwing it off to the side. Eames followed suit, chasing after him as they got on his bed, kissing him hungrily, feeling the heat spiking off each other as Arthur put his arms around Eames, pulling him down.  
  
“Damn, you’re beautiful…”  
  
Arthur smiled, biting at Eames’ bottom lip, then kissed his chin, his jaw, his fingers scraping at Eames’ day old scruff. Eames turned and caught his fingers, sucking on them playfully. Arthur laughed softly as Eames leaned down, kissing him again and again.  
  
He feels like he could kiss Arthur forever. Once their lips touched, Eames couldn’t imagine living his life without ever kissing Arthur again. They started off chaste and sweet and soon developed into starving, frantic kisses, tongues meeting, brushing, touching. When he was sure Arthur was dizzy, Eames pulled back, sliding down to Arthur’s throat, leaving gentle nips and sucking gently to get the taste of Arthur on his palette forever. He slid his hands down his body, pulling down the band of his briefs, rubbing his thumb over the rounded bone of his hip and oh - the sound Arthur made as he ground his hips against him was perfection.  
  
Eames was pleasently surprised when he felt Arthur’s hand on his cock, thumb rubbing over the slit as he shuddered and moaned when his hand began to move, tugging him slowly, with so much care and ease and just enough speed to make Eames’ arms shake. He makes Arthur stop, though his voice is shaky when he tells him and he sighs angrily to himself as he gets up to look for a condom and lube. He finds one and as he searches for some kind of lubrication, he hears Arthur say,  
  
“In my bag...I have lube in my bag.”  
  
Eames pauses and turns, raising an eyebrow to him as he said,  
  
“Oh?”  
  
Arthur looks at him a little smugly, turning onto his stomach as he proped himself up.  
  
“Masterbation still needs lubrication.”  
  
It spured Eames to move faster and after opening Arthur’s duffel bag and doing a bit of rummaging, he finds the small bottle and returns to bed.  
  
He leaned down to kiss the back of Arthur’s shoulders, the nape of his neck, and he smiled as Arthur’s head fell forward then to the side as he sighed. Eames sat up for a moment, sitting between Arthur’s legs as he opened the cap of the lube and poured a generous amount onto his fingers as he slipped the first finger inside. Arthur gasps and leans down on his arms. Eames watched as his hot little hole swallowed him up quickly and Arthur’s back arched as he pushed back a little and he took it easily enough. The second made Arthur clench up, his mouth falling open as Eames slid in slowly, carefully, stopping when the hold became too tight.  
  
“Say when, darling.”  
  
Arthur moaned in response, his thighs trembling as he spread his legs further and soon, his hold on Eames’ fingers relaxed and he let him in deeper. Eames opened his fingers apart, working him open as Arthur gasped and moaned and when Eames crooked them and found the spongy bundle of nerves, Arthur cried out, cursing just as loudly as Eames grinned.  
  
He moved his hand back and Arthur turned over to watch him put the condom on, biting his bottom lip as his face flushed with color.  
  
“I can’t wait…”  
  
Eames couldn’t wait either. As he rolled the condom onto his erection, he found himself with so much want and urgency. He couldn’t even remember any time in any moment of his life that he wanted someone so badly. He quickly poured more lube on himself, slicking the condom further when Arthur sat up suddenly. He urged Eames on his back and straddled his lap as Eames found himself looking up at him.  
  
“Oh…”  
  
Arthur smiled at him as he reached back, taking a hold of Eames’ cock and guiding it inside him, sitting back slowly. His mouth fell open as he felt himself being filled up, and Eames groaned. He held onto Arthur’s hips, lifting his legs up and bending his knees before settling his feet firmly on the mattress. He let Arthur sink down on him easily, not moving at all until Arthur sat fully on his lap. There, Eames watched him lean forward, placing his hands on Eames’ chest as his short fingernails scratched at him through his chest hair, one finger actually catching the beaded necklace Eames got in Rio at the start of his holiday. Arthur held onto it as he began to move, rocking slowly, gasping as he began to lift up by fragment of inches only to fall back down.  
  
Eames let him go like that until the gaps of space got further and further between them. Arthur moved faster now. Eames grabbed his thighs, lifting his own hips just as Arthur came down and he watched as his dick slammed directly into Arthur’s prostate. Arthur cursed loudly, his body shaking, the grip on Eames’ necklace getting tighter. Eames quickly learned that even their timing was perfect, his hips lifting up just as Arthur came back down in perfect unison, again and again, the sound of their skin smacking echoing through the room, the squelching sound of their sweat and lube mingling with their moans.  
  
Arthur dug his knees into the bed, lifting up with ease as he angled his hips so Eames could better hit his prostate better and he could slam back down onto his cock as he said,  
  
“Oh fuck, there...there…”  
  
Arthur reached down and took Eames’ hands into his own, their fingers locking as Arthur kept riding him, Eames following his rhythm.  
  
“God….Arthur…”  
  
Eames could feel the build of his orgasm, his timing becoming slightly off as he felt the brink of pleasure rising, spreading through him rapidly as he groaned and let go of one of Arthur’s hands, reaching for his dick and stroking him in time as much as he could. Arthur tensed up, his body shaking harder while his grip on Eames’ hand tightened as he sobbed and came. He shot his load across Eames’ stomach, feeling it smear on Eames’ hand and Eames immediately followed, his pleasure only heightened as he watched Arthur come.  
  
Eames caught him when he saw Arthur hunch over, his head falling forward as he panted for air. He held him close, kissing the side of his face. He felt amazing and light and blissed out as Arthur kissed the side of his neck, weakly trying to pick his head up. When he finally succeeded, they kissed again, weak, slow kisses as Eames kissed back. His clean hand buried itself in Arthur’s hair, clenching a handful as Arthur whispered to him,  
  
“I can hear your heart racing.”  
  
“I don’t want it to slow down.”  
  
Arthur nipped at Eames’ plush bottom lip, kissing him again as Eames smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur’s job lets him stay in New York where Eames resided, so they were able to continue to date. It was fortunate for the both of them since they missed each other the time they were apart. Eames felt himself falling hard and fast for Arthur.  
  
They go on different kinds of dates. Eames arranges most of them since he lives in the area, and Arthur is all too pleased at the events. They take in an old black and white movie that’s screened at Central Park on a large projection screen. They sit on a blanket near a tree and cuddle in close to each other, Arthur resting his head on Eames’ lap as he popped M&M’s in his mouth, occasionally bringing one up to Eames’ mouth. Eames can’t even remember most of the movie, his attention mostly on Arthur, running his fingers through his dark hair, seeing him smile as Arthur focused on the movie.  
  
Arthur walks Eames home after a date, dinner and coffee and as Eames takes his hand it began to rain. Arthur had been prepared and quickly opened the umbrella he was carrying. Eames had teased Arthur for bringing it with him at the start of their date and Arthur smirked at him knowingly as Eames tucked himself beside Arthur under the umbrella. They end up kissing for half an hour in front of Eames’ apartment building, the awning hardly covering them, the umbrella Arthur was using to cover them was tilted and they ended up being soaked anyway.  
  
“Would you like to come up? You’re soaked through.”  
  
Arthur smiled, his hair sticking to the sides of his face, Eames’ shirt sticking to him.  
  
“Sure...as long as I’m here.”  
  
Eames kissed him again and again and it was another twenty minutes before they were able to tear apart from each other to head upstairs. Arthur ended up showering and spending the night.  
  
It was the height of the summer season in Coney Island and they walk through the old fair grounds, Arthur pulling cotton candy off a stick, pausing to share some with Eames as he laughed and blushed softly as Eames purposely bit his fingers playfully, then licked them as cover to take the cotton candy. There are games of shooting hoops, shooting a water gun directly into a target to pop a balloon, throwing a ball into a cup - things of that nature. A certain game caught Eames’ eye, an old fashioned moving duck target game and he pulled Arthur to it.  
  
“Want to try?”  
  
Arthur shrugged,  
  
“Sure. Why not?”  
  
Eames paid for the first round and gave the lightweight faux rifle attached to the booth to Arthur. He watched as Arthur lifted the gun up and aimed and as it recoiled, Arthur cursed, feeling the butt of the gun hit his shoulder. Eames smiled a bit as he said,  
  
“You all right?”  
  
Arthur nodded, though he looked a little embarrassed, as Eames took the gun from him to take his turn and took aim, popping off five rounds, hitting each target. The barker at the booth looked impressed as he announced,  
  
“Winner!”  
  
He handed Eames a medium sized bear and Eames proudly turned to Arthur, giving it to him. Arthur took it for a moment and looked at it and then back up at the much larger, life sized bear.  
  
“Can I try one more time?”  
  
“Sure, duck. Go for it.”  
  
Arthur handed him his bear and picked up the gun again after Eames paid for another round. Arthur squared off his shouders and tilted his head, his stance different from the first time as he fired off six rounds in a row, hitting each moving duck.  
  
“Winner!”  
  
The barker took down the life size bear and gave it to Arthur and it’s Eames’ turn to be impressed. Arthur gave him the bear with a shy smile on his face as he said,  
  
“I just watched how you did it. Lucky I guess.”  
  
Eames laughed and took Arthur by the hand as they continued to walk through the fair grounds.  
  
+  
  
It’s one of the off days that Arthur was working so Eames took the opportunity to hit the gym. He met up with his best mate, a man named Yusuf, and the two took a punching bag. Yusuf went first, listening to Eames run off at the mouth about Arthur - their past few dates, how funny Arthur is, how smart Arthur is, how lovely Arthur is. Yusuf stopped to catch his breath and rolled his eyes at the same time.  
  
When they switched, Yusuf now holding the bag as Eames took a couple of swings, he said,  
  
“All right geez. You sound in love already. You’ve known him...what a month? Maybe you should slow down.”  
  
Eames stepped back to take a kick before he brought his guard back up to his face, continuing to swing.  
  
“Yusuf, he’s perfect. He’s sweet and smart and funny and-”  
  
“Yes, yes, I know all about the amazing, wonderful, perfect Arthur. He’s all been you talking about for the past month.”  
  
Eames stopped for a moment, catching his breath as he continued.  
  
“He’s brilliant. He does a lot of travel for work, computers or something, I don’t know. I didn’t really ask. But he’s good at it. He’s gotta be if he travels the world for it.”  
  
Yusuf nods, giving a non-committal sound as he braced himself for Eames’ continuing pummeling of the bag.  
  
“He’s good to me. He’s never busy and even when I think he’s busy he surprises me with lunch or a text...I just...I never felt this way about anybody.”  
  
“What’s he going to do when he finds out what you do for a living?”  
  
“Construction. I’m not worried about it.”  
  
Yusuf gave him a look before shrugging his shoulders.  
  
+  
  
It wasn’t long until Eames asked Arthur to marry him and despite the speed of their relationship, Eames was sure Arthur would say yes.  
  
Eames had picked Arthur up from the airport - he had been out of town for a few days for work and Eames missed him. After dinner in Little Italy, Eames took him back to his place where they had a glass of wine and a long overdue make out session. They hardly moved from Eames’ couch, Arthur lying back on it, his hands pulling up Eames’ short sleeved button down as Eames slowly made his way down Arthur’s body, undoing the buttons of his oxford as he kissed each bit of skin. As he reached Arthur’s stomach, feeling it tense under his lips, he slowly worked on undoing the button of Arthur’s dress pants. Eames glanced up to see Arthur’s eyes closed, his breathing heavy as he waited for Eames to go on.  
  
Arthur was shocked when nothing happened and he opened his eyes to see Eames looking at him, a small smile on his face.  
  
“I missed you.”  
  
“I missed you too. I couldn’t wait to come back.”  
  
Eames nipped at his stomach, feeling him tense as Arthur giggled softly. He sat up then to remove his shirt as he slid his hands down Arthur’s thighs, looking at him and feeling secure to finally ask him.  
  
“Arthur...will you marry me?”  
  
Arthur looked at him for a moment, his face flushed with color as he pushed himself up as he asked,  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Yeah...I know it’s kind of fast but...I love you.”  
  
Arthur kissed him hard, pulling Eames back down with him on the couch.  
  
“Yes...yes, I’ll marry you.”  
  
+  
  
Yusuf and Arthur’s friend and coworker Ariadne both looked displeased at their small, intimate wedding, but neither Arthur nor Eames could bring themselves to care. They were married at city hall and once the judge announced them married, they held onto each other, kissing sweetly, passionately while Ariadne rolled her eyes and Yusuf glanced at his watch.  
  
Eames held Arthur’s face as he kissed him. Each time he pulled away he had a smile on his face as Arthur held onto his wrists, smiling sweetly back at him each time. They murmured endearments to each other, laughing softly as if they were the only people in the world, each kiss promising and tender until Ariadne cleared her throat and they were reminded that they were indeed, not alone.  
  
Eames laughed a little as he pulled back, Arthur blushing as he brought his hand to his mouth and looking down as he said,  
  
“Sorry Ari.”  
  
“Yeah. Your photographer can only get so many shots of the same thing.”  
  
She gestured to the man with the camera not too far from them and Eames put his arm around Arthur, pulling him in closer to get a different shot.  
  
+  
  
Present day…  
  
In Westchester County, a beautiful modern looking home with a perfectly manicured lawn and similar homes around it stands out when the sunlight hits it first. The door opened as Eames stepped out and leaned down to pick up the paper on his porch. He was in his boxers and a bathrobe, his hair a mess as his day old scruff shadowed his jaw, chin and upper lip.  
  
He picked up the paper and went back inside, closing the door behind him as he headed back upstairs and saw Arthur getting out of bed, wearing one of Eames’ pajama tops. Since they were married, they lived in peaceful, domestic bliss. Arthur smiled when he saw him and took the paper from him and left it on the bed and followed him to the bathroom where stood at separate sinks. They brushed their teeth quietly and once they were done, Eames returned to their room to pick up the paper again and looked at it as Arthur came out of the bathroom. He was running his fingers through his hair as he said,  
  
“Breakfast?”  
  
“Please.”  
  
Arthur nodded, picking up his robe as he headed down to start breakfast.  
  
It was an easy morning, Arthur didn’t have to be into the city until later that afternoon and Eames woke up early enough to sit and enjoy breakfast. It wasn’t an every day thing so Eames really enjoyed it. He finished skimming the paper before padding downstairs and smelling bacon and coffee. He sat down at the table, folding the paper and resting at his left as Arthur set a plate in front of him.  
  
“Perfect timing.”  
  
“Perfect as always.”  
  
Arthur leaned down and kissed Eames on the lips before returning to the kitchen for the coffee. He brought Eames his cup before coming back with his own plate. They sat down and discussed their days as they ate and once they were done, Arthur took the dishes and went to the kitchen as Eames finished the paper with his coffee. Once the dishes were loaded in the washer, Arthur returned to the dining room as he said,  
  
“Babe, you’ll be late if you don’t get going.”  
  
Eames finished his coffee with a nod as he stood up, leaving the paper on the table as he went upstairs to shower and dress. By the time he finished getting dressed, Arthur was stepping out of the bathroom, in his robe again, his hair wet this time. Eames went over to him and kissed him softly, feeling Arthur lean towards him and when they pulled back, Arthur looked at his husband and then straightened out his tie. He smoothed his hand down the front of his coat as he said,  
  
“Have a good day. I’ll miss you.”  
  
“I’ll miss you too.”  
  
They kissed again, and Eames left.  
  
+  
  
Domestic bliss. The phrase never really rang with Eames until he married Arthur. The house in surburia, the routine, everything was just perfect. As Eames drove his black Benz sedan, he smiled to himself, hating to be apart from his spouse but knowing he had responsibilities.  
  
Yusuf often told him, in the first and second (and third) year of his marriage that it would never work. They hardly knew each other. They had hardly dated.  
  
“It’ll never last.”  
  
Eames would scoff at him and after the first, second and third year passed, Yusuf stopped talking. It was almost disgusting how adorably sweet they were with each other. Arthur looked as if he depended fully on Eames to walk him through social situations; Christmas parties, block parties, office parties, Arthur never left Eames’ side and Eames never minded. He hovered protectively over his spouse and always made sure to include him in every conversation he was in. When they spoke to each other, it was as if they were in their own bubble, just them and everyone else was blocked out. Eames was attentive to every one of Arthur’s needs, for the house, for his job, for anything.  
  
The house was for Arthur, it was something Eames never pictured for himself but once Arthur loved it, he couldn’t imagine the rest of his life anywhere else. He mowed the lawn, tended to minor home repair, painted whatever Arthur asked and remodeled little things here and there. When he and Arthur were home together, they would have dinner together, read and often times made love.  
  
Their love had only intensified throughout the years.  
  
Holidays were an especially big deal. Arthur being estranged from his family and Eames not having one made the holidays special for them. Arthur decorated the house tastefully with white lights and potted bright red poinsettias at the front door. Their tree was done in silver ribbons and the same white lights with an angel at the top. Eames did the cooking for them and they would indulge in their vacation time. There were holiday parties to attend on both their parts where they stayed at each other’s side. Now and then they did some traveling if either job required it and there was no way out of it, but it only took them back to the day they met.  
  
They danced in their living room with the fire going, they did laundry together and were often side tracked when it came to folding things. They slept in on weekends and woke up much later in the day, and on Sundays Eames would bring the paper to bed and he and Arthur would attempt to do the crossword puzzle over coffee.  
  
It was perfect, just the two of them. They had considered a pet maybe, but it was something they were still thinking over.  
  
Eames would go into the city, come home and more often than not, Arthur was there already, finishing up or just about to finish dinner, a smile on his face and he would greet him with a kiss. Eames would have time to change his clothes before sitting down for dinner, conversation light and easy.  
  
After dinner, they would sometimes sit in the living room to watch the news, and depending on their moods, they would go to bed and make love or simply lie down with each other - Eames being the big spoon and throwing his arm around Arthur’s slender waist.  
  
+  
  
It was a calm, quiet night - Arthur and Eames were in the middle of having dinner after another long day. As Eames sipped his wine, he heard his phone ringing from his living room where he set it down when he got home. He and Arthur looked at each other as he sighed and set his glass down, excusing himself for a moment.  
  
“Forgive me, pet. It’s probably the office.”  
  
Arthur nodded, still cutting his steak as Eames got up to answer.  
  
He picked up his mobile and turned towards the dining room, stepping out of Arthur’s line of sight as he headed towards the staircase and answered.  
  
“It’s me.”  
  
He hardly heard the person on the other end when he heard Arthur’s office line ringing. He turned again towards the dining room as Arthur walked towards him, then passed him, his hand smoothing over Eames’ stomach as he said,  
  
“Great, now I have a call too. See what you did?”  
  
Eames smiled a little as he watched Arthur go to his office and Eames headed upstairs, continuing his call.  
  
“What is it? No, I can’t tonight, my husband…”  
  
He trailed off as he sighed and said,  
  
“Right. All right, give me an hour.”  
  
He hung up and headed to Arthur’s office, about to knock when Arthur suddenly opened the door. They both startled each other as Arthur laughed softly.  
  
“You scared me.”  
  
“Me too. I’m sorry, love but the office called. Something went down with some permits...a total cock up.”  
  
“That works in both our favors actually. One of the serves in Wall Street just crashed. It’s madness and Ariadne just called. She’s hysterical.”  
  
Eames threw his hands up as he sighed and rolled his eyes, annoyed by the sudden turn of events. It wasn’t uncommon but still, troublesome.  
  
They kissed each other bye before getting into their cars. Arthur drives a silver Mercedes, a gift for their last wedding anniversary. As they look at each other, Arthur reminds him,  
  
“We promised the Cobbs to be at their place at nine. Think we’ll make it?”  
  
Eames glanced at his watch - 7:02pm.  
  
“Might be a tad late but they’ll forgive us.”  
  
Arthur nodded as Eames gave him one more wave and pulled out first, driving ahead.  
  
Ah, yes, domestic bliss. If not for the one little secret Eames kept from Arthur. The secret of what he really did for a living.


	3. Chapter 3

After exiting the Hudson highway, Eames parked his sedan. He removed his watch and stashed it in the glove compartment before getting out, pocketing his keys smoothly before hailing a cab. Once he got one, Eames ran his hands through his hair, purposely mussing it further before undoing the buttons of his dress shirt. Underneath he wore a singlet, which he untucked, and a beaded necklace. Quietly, he lifted the necklace from under his undershirt and let it rest naturally on his chest. As the cab drove, he continued to undo the buttons on his cuffs and roll up his sleeves to his elbows.  
  
He was downtown in a matter of moments and, after making a quick stop at an ATM, he headed towards a dive club, where girls with cigarettes stood outside, laughing with each other as a small group of guys tried to make a deal with a bouncer. Eames approached the bouncer, pushing through the crowd as he exclaimed,  
  
“Oi, I need in. I’m here to see Ashley.”  
  
He laid his accent on thick, letting the hint of chav linger on his words. He gnawed on the edge of a toothpick as the bouncer looked at him and asked,  
  
“What’s it concern?”  
  
“Here for some action.”  
  
“Wait here.”  
  
Eames nodded and took the toothpick from his mouth for a moment before moving it to the other side of his mouth, continuing to chew on it as the crowd around him moved to the side. It was a matter of moments before the bouncer came back and let him in.  
  
+  
  
There were four guys at the table, including Ashley. Ashley himself was a tall, skinny man, with a fading hairline and eyes that sized up Eames when he walked in.  
  
A few hands in and with money being thrown around like water, Eames was winning nicely. The music was driving in the background, thumping against the walls, the overhead lamp shaking now and then. The door was closed but unguarded. Ashley was annoyed by his loss and the other three goons scoffed as they threw down their cards. The one to Eames’ left - who wore a gold tooth that he licked when he had a good hand (the worse tell ever in Eames’ opinion) - picked up the cards and reshuffled, throwing out cards to everyone. Eames picked his up, looking around at Gold Tooth, then at the guy in the trashy crushed velvet red shirt to Eames’ right. Ashley sat directly in front of him, while a blond guy sat between Ashley and Trashy Shirt. Ashley ran his hand over his thinning hair as Trashy Shirt tapped his finger against the cards. Eames looked back down at his own hand.  
  
“Up a hundred,” said Gold Tooth.  
  
“Call,” said Trashy Shirt.  
  
“Call,” said the blond.  
  
“Your hundred with two more,” responded Gold Tooth.  
  
“Call,” said Eames.  
  
“It’s three hundred to call.”  
  
“It is? Oh. Ok then call. No fold. No, wait. Call. No. Yeah...wait. Ok fold.”  
  
The table laughed at him as Eames laughed with them as he picked up his drink and toasted them,  
  
“Cheers.”  
  
He downed it in one shot.  
  
+  
  
“Shit. I had that.”  
  
Eames threw his cards in as the table laughs and Gold Tooth and Trashy Shirt high five each other.  
  
“So are you in for another hand or what?” asked Ashley.  
  
Eames slowly nodded, acting drunk as he reached into his pocket and withdrew his roll of money. He started to count it off, laying out the bills on the table as he fumbled and then dropped the roll. He cursed as he leaned down to pick it up, hearing them laugh again as the blond said,  
  
“This guy is shitfaced.”  
  
Ashley agreed as Eames sat up and laughed lazily and said,  
  
“Sorry bruvs...just...miles away.”  
  
There was another hearty laugh around the table while, under the table, Eames pointed a silenced glock at Ashley. Suddenly, there was a pop and the blond fell down on the floor with a gasp - then Trashy Shirt, and then Gold Tooth. Before Ashley realized it, Eames lifted his gun up and fired off a quick round, dropping Ashley to the floor to join his crew.  
  
+  
  
In a matter of moments, Eames was walking across the club smoking a cigar, his pockets full of money and not a single care on his face. He nodded to the bouncer on his way out, giving him a wave. As he stepped out from the club, he held up a pair of keys - Ashley’s to be exact - and clicked them around, watching the row of cars until one of them lit up; a red ‘96 Mustang. Eames rolled his eyes as he walked towards it and got in. As he slammed the door, he looked around the inside and muttered,  
  
“What a trashy piece of shit.”  
  
As he started the loud engine he groaned again, his cigarette hanging from his mouth as he cursed,  
  
“Bloody hell…”  
  
He eventually pulled out and drove on.  
  
+  
  
Once he got home, Eames was nearly relieved to see Arthur wasn’t home. He ducked into the laundry to strip off his shirt and singlet, since they stunk of cigarette smoke. He kicked off his shoes and ran upstairs, taking off his pants and going into the walk-in closet to find something acceptable to wear to head to the Cobb’s. Just as he tugged on a pair of black dress pants, he heard the bathroom door open. He froze and was glad he had left his glock under his car seat as he saw Arthur walking by, wearing khakis with a charcoal gray button down still undone. Eames sighed as he said,  
  
“Hey, baby. I didn’t know you were home.”  
  
“Eames? When did you get back?”  
  
Eames picked through and found a white Henley. He answered as he pulled his arms through the sleeves and tugged the shirt over his torso.  
  
“Just now. I was changing.”  
  
“Oh, me too.”  
  
Eames leaned down and picked up a pair of his not-so-dressy Chelsea boots as he exited the closet. There was Arthur, all buttoned up and tucked in. He stopped to get close to him and kissed his spouse as they smiled at each other.  
  
“We’ll be on time.”  
  
“Perfect timing.”  
  
“As always.”  
  
They arrived at the Cobb’s home right on schedule, Arthur smoothing down the front of his shirt as Eames rung the bell. As they waited, Eames asked him,  
  
“Everything go ok?”  
  
“Yup, fine. You?”  
  
“Good.”  
  
They smiled at each other as Mal opened the door and greeted them brightly.  
  
“Welcome neighbors!”  
  
Mal Cobb was a tall, slender, beautiful woman who had known Arthur and Eames since they moved in. The Cobb’s had two kids and Dom worked in the city as an investment banker, and Mal a housewife. She wore a black knee length skirt and fitted red blouse with a thin strand of pearls. With a pair of lovely heels on her feet, her hair curled, and a wine glass in her hand as she welcomed them inside, offering them something to drink. Mal was one of those housewives that even after two kids and a lifetime in suburbia, still looked stunning. She never went anywhere without looking perfect and that was probably why Arthur liked her so much. Eames took Arthur’s hand as they followed Mal into the living room, greeting the other neighbors, pausing to shake hands and say hello before pressing on.  
  
The Cobb home was clean and had family photos of the kids in every stage of their lives so far, even a large family portrait of the four of them over the fireplace. By the time Eames and Arthur caught up to Mal in the living room, she already had two glasses of wine for them. They took them with gratitude as they began to mingle and talk.  
  
It was some time later that night, Mal mingling with the other women, Arthur standing by Eames’ side as they both listened to Dom and a few other bankers talk business.  
  
“I heard their stocks are getting butchered.”  
  
Dom nodded, taking a drink from his whisky glass as he said,  
  
“It’s a bloodbath. How did you do this quarter Eames?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t believe in banks, mate. I have all my money buried in the backyard under my shed.”  
  
They all laughed. Arthur did too, looking at his husband adoringly.  
  
There were whispers and stares, not everyone so welcoming of a same sex couple living among their perfect carbon-copy neighborhood. But overtime they were gradually won over by Eames’ charm and Arthur’s wit. Their humor and warmth made them irresistible. The few that didn’t accept them into the fold still smiled in their faces, though Arthur made sure to stay away from them.  
  
Throughout the party and the drinking, Arthur was eventually pulled away by Mal to talk in the kitchen. She was sweet, making small talk as she organized some trays of appetizers with Arthur’s help. They gossiped a bit, nothing deeper than that, and Arthur laughed with her and brought trays of appetizers back out to the crowd.  
  
+  
  
Once back at their own home, Eames gargled at his sink as Arthur stood beside him, brushing his teeth. They were both in their pajamas already, Eames in his boxers, Arthur in Eames’ pajama top. As he spit, he looked at Arthur and asked,  
  
“You have fun tonight?”  
  
He let Arthur finish brushing his teeth and when he spit and rinsed, Arthur rinsed his toothbrush as he replied,  
  
“I did. It was nice. How about you?”  
  
“It was interesting. Dom gave me some good stock tips.”  
  
Arthur nodded as he ran his fingers through his hair before taking Eames’ hand and leading him back to bedroom, with Eames flicking off the light on their way out. They got in bed after pulling off the extra pillows and moving back their sheets and blankets. Once they lay down, Eames leaned over, kissing Arthur good night. Suddenly, he felt Arthur crawling over him. Eames sighed softly to himself, putting his arms around Arthur as the kiss deepened, Eames’ hands tightened on the back of the pajama top as Arthur pulled back slightly, his breath warm on Eames’ bottom lip as he asked,  
  
“You want to?”  
  
Eames laughed softly as he replied,  
  
“When do I ever not want to?”  
  
Arthur’s laugh was light and he ran his hands over Eames’ chest as he kissed him again, letting Eames pull up the bottom of the pajama top, letting him feel his nakedness underneath. Eames’ hands were warm and firm, grabbing his ass as Arthur moaned softly.  
  
They hardly got started before Eames’ phone rang. A moment later, Arthur’s phone rang as well. They let them ring for a moment, before looking at each other and sighing.  
  
“Dammit.”  
  
“It’s probably nothing.”  
  
Eames agreed as Arthur got off of him and went to grab his phone, Eames doing the same until he saw the number on the screen and he had to answer.  
  
“Eames.”  
  
He heard Arthur answer his phone as well but doesn’t pay attention as he heard,  
  
“We have a target. We need you to move.”  
  
“This is the second time this week.”  
  
“Your orders will be sent to your office.”  
  
The call was cut as Eames hung up and he turned to see Arthur now sitting up. He turned on the light as he sat up, putting his hand on Arthur’s back.  
  
“What’s wrong, baby?”  
  
“Ariadne just called. She said her father isn’t doing very well.”  
  
“Oh…”  
  
“Yeah...she wants to leave tomorrow morning to get to Chicago first thing and she asked me to go with her. I guess she really needs the support.”  
  
“Then go, darling. Your friend needs you. It would be just for a few days.”  
  
Arthur nodded then looked at Eames.  
  
“What was your call?”  
  
“Having trouble with the Taiwan contracts. They’re trying to renegotiate and it’s causing shit. I thought Yusuf could handle it but things aren’t going well. I have to go for a bit and clean it up.”  
  
Arthur sighed as he muttered,  
  
“Terrible timing.”  
  
“Not on our parts.”  
  
Arthur laughed a little as he looked at Eames then.  
  
“Best to take advantage of the rest of the night.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Eames pulled Arthur back over him as he reached over to the nightstand and shut off the light again.  
  
+  
  
Early in the morning, Eames was dressed and mostly packed. Arthur had done him a favor and packed both their bags. He already had his carry-on done and Eames was taking it down to the car. Eames headed to the shed in the backyard, whistling to himself as he held his duffle over his shoulder. He was still glowing from last night and as he entered the shed, he glanced at his watch before closing the door behind him and pulled the cord to the overhead light.  
  
He knelt down on the floor after pushing back the tool bench and he began to work a combination lock until it clicked and he was able to pull up the handle. He got up and stepped into the opening, feeling the step under his foot as he went down into the underground space he built to hide his secret. He flipped on a light and an arsenal of weapons lit up - rows of weapons, guns, ammunition, knives, gernade launchers, and explosives. He paused to pick what he needed; knowing he had his glock was still in the car but this mission...this mission would need more.  
  
Once he was done, the duffle full, he returned up to the shed, locking everything as it was before exiting and heading to his sedan. He threw the bag in the backseat before returning to the house for his last suitcase. He went back upstairs and saw Arthur in his robe having just finished up zipping up the case as he turned and saw Eames.  
  
“Just finished.”  
  
“Thank you, darling.”  
  
He picked up the case off the bed and set it beside him on the floor as he said,  
  
“I’ll miss you.”  
  
Arthur gave him a sad little smile before putting his arms around him and kissing him.  
  
“I’ll miss you too. Call me when you land?”  
  
“Of course. You be safe.”  
  
“You too.”  
  
They kissed again before Eames pulled back, picked his bag up and headed out.


	4. Chapter 4

Eames’ sedan pulled up in front of a construction sight in the meatpacking district, wherea small office stood in front as that section of the construction site was covered in a large plastic tarp. In front of the office was a large sign that read “Forging Ahead”. He went inside and saw an empty desk with stacks of letters and folders on it. He ignored it as he unlocked a door on the opposite side - his office. It was basically empty with the exception of a surveillance TV, a chair and a smaller table with a laptop sitting on top. Eames booted the laptop up as he pulled the chair over, and once the laptop was running he put in a few keystrokes to unlock it before he went to his email. He read the coded message quickly, and then deleted it before shutting down the laptop.Quickly and quietly, he was again on his way.

+

The target was Nash, a highly trained computer expert that had broken into a highly valuable system. He was now being sought out for the secrets he knew and was threatening to sell, and had to be eliminated before the defense secrets he had were sold to anyone.

Eames’ employer had put him on the job to kill Nash as he was being transported from New York to Canada under CIA and FBI protection. There was only a small gap on the road where Nash could be eliminated and Eames had to be there to do the job.

It was a wide stretch of road, and the sky was blue and clear as Eames stood on the ravine looking down onto the pass below. He knelt down and removed binoculars from his duffel peeringthrough them to see the long convoy transporting Nash to Canada. Further up the road, possibly another three hours, was the border checkpoint. Eames whistled to himself as he noted the convoy was composed of all matching vans with black tinted windows. Eames clicked his tongue against his teeth as he set his binoculars down and reached into his duffel to take out the pieces of his weapon. He put it together as he watched the convoy through squinted eyes. His earpiecewas quiet until he heard Yusuf ask,

“So what’s it looking like?”

“Convoy. SWAT, FBI, CIA...all trying to throw me off by having all the vans look the same. Heavily armored as well.”

“What’s the plan?”

Eames finished assembling the Javelin CLU 76mm rocket launcher as he hoisted it up onto his shoulder and peered through the sight.

“Thought I’d try the Javelin.”

He heard Yusuf chuckle through his ear as he took position, the eye of the launcher trained on the front of the convoy van as Yusuf said,

“Fifteen seconds.”

Eames focused, taking a deep breath as he followed the convoy through the scope. As he got down to kneel and get better stability, he heard a slug rip through the air and embed itself in the rock behind him.

“What the FUCK!”

“What is it? New York, come in.”

Yusuf’s voice cracked through the earpiece as Eames looked around, seeing nothing but rock fixtures and sky, the ravine with the water bleeding down from the rocks and the convoy still moving, completely unaware. He didn’t waste another second as he threw himself down to the ground, the launcher beside him as machine gun fire ripped overhead and he cursed, covering his head until it stopped. He squinted again, watching where the firing came from as he grabbed his binoculars and looked through them, seeing a figure on the other side of the ravine, hidden behind more rocks, the tip of the machine gun just barely catching the glint of the sun.

He growled, annoyed and not wanting to lose his mark, as he got the launcher in his hand and sat up quickly, weapon once again on his shoulder as he contacted Yusuf,

“Come in, Mombasa.”

“New York? What’s happening?”

“Got someone else trying to crash the party.”

Eames aimed again, ready to take the convoy out as another shot ripped past him and he cursed, feeling that one was a lot closer. As he peered through the sight again, he saw the convoy passed the gap.

“Fuck. Mombasa, this is New York. Target is out of range.”

He barely had a chance to lower the launcher when he felt a bullet rip past his head, then anotherslammed into him like a punch to the chest. He fell back, gasping to himself as he laid still for a moment, his heart beating fast, dazed slightly. Slowly, he brought his hand up. He saw his earpiece had fallen out - the shell of his ear was bleeding and his chest was throbbing from where the vest underneath had stopped the bullet.

“All right...that’s enough fun for one day.”

Eames grabbed the launcher once more, getting it on his shoulder as he turned towards the opposite side of the ravine. He aimed at the highest point and fired off the weapon, watching the rocket scream across the gap. In a matter of seconds, the rock formations collapsed, dust and debris pluming through the sky as large chunks of rock fell down the sides of the mountain, into the water below and onto the highway.

Eames smirked and flipped his middle finger up towards the remaining rocks as he muttered to himself,

“That’ll teach you fuckers to come between me and my mark.”

His satisfaction was short lived when he noticed the smoke had cleared and there were large, red blinking lights, blinking faster with every second. Eames grabbed the launcher, slinging the strap overhead, then grabbed his duffel and began running down the formation just as he heard it go off. Chunks of boulders, pebbles, plant life and debris all came tumbling after him.

It was all he could do from being buried alive as he slid rapidly to the ground and waited until the noise died down. The only thing he heard afterwards was a buzzing sound and when he dared to look, he saw the same figure speeding away on a moped.

Slowly, Eames crossed the ravine and saw the rocks and piles of burnt wood where there had clearly been some kind of structure. He shuffled through some of the rubble, slightly wounded and tired from the whole ordeal - not to mention furious he had missed Nash - as he found a broken, beaten up laptop. He picked up, pleased with his find.

 

+

 

The laptop was taken back to Yusuf and Eames let him poke, prod and play with it. He was more impressed with the fact that most of it held up considering what it went through rather than the fact that his friend nearly got killed in the process.

“Yusuf, you’re killing me here.”

He reached up to his ear, feeling the tiny cut from where the bullet grazed him. Yusuf laughed to himself as he said,

“Geez...this machine is a real piece of work. Whoever made it didn’t want to be found.”

“Great, what good are you then?”

“Hey, I said didn’t want to be found, I didn’t say couldn’t be found.”

 

            As he waited for Yusuf, Eames called Arthur. His line rang once, then twice before he picked up.

“Hello, love. How are you?”

“Eames! I missed you. I’m fine, just keeping Ari company. She’s been busy though.”

“Mm. I might be back home a little sooner than I thought.”

“Me too. Ari’s father is doing all right so, maybe I’ll be home tonight or tomorrow.”

“That’s good, baby. I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

Just hearing Arthur’s voice made the dull ache on his chest fade a little and he smiled to himself as they spoke a little more; Yusuf rolled his eyes in the background as he worked.

By the time they hung up, Yusuf had an address for him.

 

+

Eames took the train to Grand Central Station and, after he exited, he walked uptown for a bit, glancing up to one of the dozens of business buildings. He walked through the revolving doors and headed to the directory of the building in the lobby. People passed him by as he stopped in front ofthe directory and ran his finger down the line of names over the glass. Attorneys, private companies, and random names all passed by his eyes until he stopped at the matching name Yusuf had given him.

Red Die Systems.

Under the name, two initials: A.E.

Eames froze and stepped back, everything connecting but still...he wasn’t ready to believe it.

Not his Arthur. His sweet, delicate Arthur who was book smart and shy. His Arthur who held his hand when he was nervous and never left his side during social events. His Arthur...his Arthur whom he was keeping a secret from, why wasn’t it logical that Arthur was doing the same to him?

He stood still for a moment, trying to gather his head from spinning as he scrubbed his hands over his eyes and left.

            It was early evening when Eames drove up to his home. He had been batting the idea around of what Arthur was all day, wondering if Arthur had any idea. He sat in the driveway for a few minutes, watching Arthur go back and forth in the kitchen.

Hours ago, he would have been deliriously happy with the idea that his darling, his husband, his partner had come home from a “business trip” so much sooner than expected, but now he knew why he was home early. He slowly got out of the car and stopped to get his luggage out as he walked up to the front door and took out his keys, opening the door and stepping in.

He felt himself tensing up, as if he was about to walk into an ambush but when nothing happened, he set his suitcase by the door and set his keys on the table near the door. He slowly walked in, feeling as if he was on guard when Arthur stepped out from the kitchen wearing an apron over his jeans and white jumper.

“Eames, I didn’t expect you home so soon. I’m so glad you’re home.”

He ran up to Eames, putting his arms around him, kissing him and Eames was a bit stiff in responding. He wondered how much of this was true, how much did Arthur actually love him, how much of a cover this all was. He held his hips, slowly running one hand down his side, the other on his lower back, feeling no weapons. Arthur looked at him a little strangely as he moved back and asked,

“Are you all right?”

“Yes...just...long day I guess.”

Arthur nodded and then took his hand as he led him towards the dining room.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Eames was given the chance to wash up before dinner. He leaned down to his ankle, feeling the knife strapped to it; a gun was too obvious, though he thought of where and how quickly he could reach one should...something happen.  
  
He returned to the dining room and saw Arthur had set the table with candlelight, flowers, and an array of dishes. Arthur had taken off his apron and was waiting for Eames to sit down as he smiled.  
  
Oh how that smile wounded Eames as he wondered what it meant.  
  
He smiled back faintly and sat down at the other end of the table as Arthur said,  
  
“I’ll be right back.”  
  
Eames was left alone uncomfortably for a moment before Arthur came back with the pot roast and set it in the middle of the table. Arthur picked up the carving knife and held his hand out for Eames’ plate. Eames immediately stood up and took the knife from his hand with a smile and said,  
  
“I’ll serve. You’ve done enough for today.”  
  
Arthur gave a soft laugh as he said,  
  
“All right.”  
  
As he served and Arthur sat down, Eames asked,  
  
“So how was Chicago?”  
  
“A bit worrisome. I was afraid Ariadne would be a mess but once we found out her father was all right, things got a lot better.”  
  
“So, things are good now?”  
  
Arthur nodded, taking a forkful of pot roast as Eames sat down with his own plate.  
  
“How was your day?”  
  
He could see Arthur’s eyes running over his face, down his throat to his arms, to his hands. Eames looked back at Arthur with a smile and said,  
  
“Had a bit of trouble with the contract. But despite some cock ups...I think the errors could be ironed out.”  
  
Arthur nodded, taking another bite of his food. He swallowed as he asked,  
  
“You can fix it?”  
  
There was a shift in the air as Arthur asked, and Eames was suddenly well aware of the game they were playing.  
  
“I’m working on it.”  
  
Their eyes locked and they both reached for their wine glasses, drinking from them. Arthur drained his glass first and when he did, Eames stood up and grabbed the bottle from the table before he walked over to Arthur and topped off his glass. When it was full, Arthur looked up and thanked him, when Eames suddenly dropped the bottle.  
  
With lighting fast reflexes, Arthur reached out and caught the bottle with his free hand just before it hit the rug.  
  
Arthur began to shiver and looked at the bottle in his hand, then back up at Eames as Eames didn’t at all look surprised. Arthur let out a shaky gasp and let the bottle fall, red wine splashing on the carpet as he said,  
  
“Oh...I’ll get a towel.”  
  
Arthur stood up suddenly and hurried to the kitchen as Eames ran towards the backdoor. He ran to his sedan and yanked open the driver’s side door to grab his glock from under the seat, and then ran back to the house. He slid in slowly against the wall from the back door, his hand out against the wall as he listened and waited.  
  
“Arthur…? Darling? I think we need to talk…”  
  
He moved from the kitchen, now empty, to the dining room - where the wine bottle was still on the floor, empty now with a growing stain on the rug - to the living room. His pulse raced as he tried to listen when he heard a familiar whirring sound coming from the side of the house.  
  
The garage.  
  
Eames ran outside just as Arthur’s car peeled out, leaving rubber tire marks on the driveway and smoke as the wheels spun.  
  
“Arthur!”  
  
Arthur only stopped at the end of the driveway and Eames paused for just a moment, long enough to see the edge and fury in Arthur’s eyes.  
  
They both knew.  
  
And Eames realized it was Arthur who had been on the ravine; it was his spouse, his husband, his partner trying to pick him off to hit a mark first. Eames didn’t quite know what to do with that information yet, so he ran after Arthur.  
  
Arthur’s Mercedes raced forward for just a moment before cutting suddenly to the left and speeding off, with Eames shouting after him as he ran as fast as he could after the car. He hardly stood a chance however and soon, Arthur’s car was nothing but red lights getting smaller and smaller by the moment.  
  
Eames stopped in the middle of the street, hanging his head down as he rested his hands on his knees, gasping for air as his lungs burned. He held his glock tightly as he lifted his head back up and saw nothing except the lighted way of the lampposts on his suburban street. There were night insects, low and distant whispers of people somewhere in the neighborhood talking, and nothing else.  
  
Arthur was gone and so was Eames’ whole life.  
  
+  
  
There was repeated and loud knocking on Yusuf’s door.  
  
Yusuf ignored it as he sat on his recliner, watching a repeat of CSI as his cat walked on the back of the chair. When it wouldn’t stop, Yusuf huffed and got up, turning on the lamp nearest to his hand as he grabbed the rifle near the door as he shouted,  
  
“Someone better be dead!”  
  
He flung open the door just as he raised his weapon only to lower it when he saw Eames.  
  
“Bloody hell, mate. You’re raising hell at my door at this hour! I almost blew your head off!”  
  
“Yusuf. My marriage is over.”  
  
“What?”  
  
He let Eames in as he stepped ahead, closing the door behind him as he set his rifle back down close to the door as he said,  
  
“Eames, tell me what happened.”  
  
He watched as Eames walked in blindly, while Yusuf followed. He watched as Eames took a seat in his breakfast nook, his hands settled on top of the table. He only made one side trip to the kitchen to grab some beers before he sat down across from his friend, settling the beer in front of him.  
  
“Go on. Tell me.”  
  
“Arthur is my enemy. He’s...he works for another organization. He was the reason the Nash target was botched.”  
  
Yusuf’s jaw dropped as Eames’ eyes seem to focus on nothing while he slowly wrapped his fingers around the bottle of beer. He looked up gradually as Yusuf finally gathered his thoughts and said,  
  
“That’s….that’s implausible. What are the odds?”  
  
“Well it’s true.”  
  
“But...Arthur is so sweet and timid. How could he possibly kill anyone let alone any THING?”  
  
Eames looked as if he couldn’t bear it anymore as he looked down again and took a deep breath.  
  
“He’s my darling...and he...he’s been lying to me.”  
  
“But you’ve been lying too.”  
  
Eames looked up again, angry now as his grip on his beer tightened.  
  
“Who’s side are you on?!”  
  
Yusuf’s hands came up as if to show he was unarmed as he said,  
  
“Whoa, whoa, yours mate, yours. All I was saying was that it’s not fair to pin everything on him when you’re just as much to blame.”  
  
Eames took an angry swig of beer and when he was done, he slammed down the bottle and sighed loudly.  
  
“How many people do you think he killed?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Well I mean he could have killed more than you. Way more.”  
  
“Jesus, Yusuf…”  
  
Eames sighed, putting his head down on the table as if to collect himself. Yusuf took a sip of his beer as watched his best friend groaning and rubbing his head against his forearms.  
  
“How do you think he kept it from you all this time?”  
  
Eames groaned as he picked his head back up.  
  
“Same way I did, I imagine. Geez...I mean, lots of couples have secrets but...this…”  
  
“This is more than a secret Eames. A secret would be he’s been lying about how old he is, that he’s actually blonde. This is on a whole ‘nother level!”  
  
Eames slouched back on his chair, bringing his hands up and scrubbing his face.  
  
“I can’t believe he lied to me.”  
  
“Well...you know…”  
  
“This is completely different! I married him because I loved him!”  
  
“Do you still love him? Wait, don’t answer that. You’re both upset right now, you should probably have a sit down first.”  
  
“Upset? Yusuf, my husband is trying to kill me.”  
  
“He’s vulnerable.”  
  
“Didn’t seem very vulnerable to me.”  
  
“You just need to talk to him, figure things out, settle it.”  
  
“Yusuf...you don’t get it. He ID’d me. He knows it was me on the Nash mark.”  
  
“Shit…”  
  
“Yeah...shit.”  
  
They both knew what it meant as they looked at each other. Yusuf only took a sip of his beer.  
  
Now with each other assassin known, their entire world was compromised. Eames had to take out Arthur or risk Arthur taking him out. Eames couldn’t even think of it then and Yusuf didn’t have the heart to bring it up further - so they finished their beers in silence.  
  
+  
  
Eames slept on Yusuf’s couch, dozing in and out of a fitful rest. He couldn’t stop thinking about how uncomfortable he was - especially since his feet were resting on the opposite arm rest - how the cushions had cat hair all over them, and how much he missed his bed.  
  
Then he couldn’t stop thinking about Arthur and as he lay there with his hands on his stomach, he kept running his thumb over his wedding band. He thought of how they met in Rio that humid day, their wedding day, their honeymoon and their life together from that point until now. Memories of his happy marriage played in his head as if to torture him, waking with Arthur in the morning and seeing him wearing his pajama top, slow dancing with him in their living room, decorating their home for Christmas, kissing for hours when the moment struck, exchanging gifts for birthdays and anniversaries, vacations, and it ached.  
  
Eames sighed deeply, feeling heartbroken to know that it was probably all a cover on Arthur’s part. It wasn’t on Eames’...not at all, not for a moment.  
  
He closed his eyes, moving his hand away from his wedding band as he took a deep breath as if to steady himself. If Arthur was ready to go forward, then so would he.


	6. Chapter 6

Arthur was standing in front of a myriad of screens, all of them buzzing with information. Numbers and images flashed across the screen as Arthur absorbed it all in the blink of an eye. Ariadne stood beside him, her arms crossed as her hair fell over her shoulder, bangs swept across her youthful face. Arthur was focused, intense, his eyes sweeping over everything before he said,  
  
“Here’s our priority right now: target acquisition. We need everything on his status; phone taps, credit cards, audio scans, civilian frequencies.”  
  
He paused when Eames’ face came up on the screen; his data, or what was known, was pulled up beside the image. Ariadne saw his hesitation and leaned over to whisper,  
  
“Do you want to talk?”  
  
Arthur cleared his throat and he shook his head as he continued,  
  
“We need to find him and who he works for.”  
  
“That’s already known.”  
  
One of the faces in the crowd spoke up and Arthur acknowledged them.  
  
“It’s for Saito.”  
  
Arthur sighed in annoyance. Great, just one more thing for him to contend with.  
  
“Then let’s go to work and find him.”  
  
“Actually...I think he found us,” said Ariadne.  
  
Arthur turned slightly to see Ariadne tapping at a keyboard and pointing to the screens in front them. It was security camera footage, with Eames standing in front of the camera only for a moment before the screen turned into snow and static and then resumed on the now empty hallway.  
  
Chaos erupted behind them, Arthur’s team scrambling to find Eames as Ariadne shook her head, her fingers flying over the keys as she said,  
  
“Shit...he breached the perimeter. He’s here somewhere but...I can’t find him!”  
  
She changed the screens to heat sensors and looked through the display, examining it carefully until Arthur’s phone rang. All eyes were on Arthur as he picked up his phone and answered.  
  
“I’m at the office, baby, can it wait?”  
  
The heat sensors finally picked something up and Arthur and his team all watch it. On the phone, Eames began to speak.  
  
“This is your first and last warning, darling. You need to disappear and quickly.”  
  
“I’m not going anywhere.”  
  
“We’ll see about that.”  
  
There was a loud, metallic ping that everyone in the room followed until a grenade dropped through the vents. Everyone looked at it for a second before they began to run and dive for cover.  
  
A flash of blinding white light exploded with a bang and as Arthur tried to recover, he heard Eames state,  
  
“That was just a test.”  
  
“Plan C, MOVE!”  
  
Arthur threw his phone down as his team began to move - burning papers, deleting entire data bases, ripping SIM cards from phones and throwing those in the incinerators.  
  
Arthur followed everyone out, running out through the maze of hallways to flee the scene.  
  
Eames dropped down from the ceiling just then and watched as the large, heavy steel doors were about to slam, letting him see a brief glimpse of Arthur just as he turned back to look at Eames.  
  
It was all for a second - the doors slammed just as it happened - so Arthur continued his escape and Eames shook his head.  
  
+  
  
“You have to remind yourself, mate. He’s not your husband anymore.”  
  
Eames returned to his office, Yusuf sitting on the edge of his desk as Eames paced, telling him about the events that just unfolded.  
  
“He’s going to go with it. So I have to, too, or Saito will eat me alive.”  
  
“Then go through with it! Just do it, mourn for a weekend, get it out of your system with a couple of drinks and move on. This is crucial.”  
  
“I know, I know. But now I don’t even know where to start.”  
  
“He got in your life, now get in his. Go. Home.”  
  
Eames nodded but before he left, Yusuf stopped him.  
  
“Bring a mark! You need a shield...just in case.”  
  
“Where the hell am I supposed to find a mark that stupid?”  
  
+  
  
Eames knocked and waited and soon Dom emerged from behind the raucous doorway of his home. It was the weekend, and Dom was in the middle of barbequing. A striped apron splattered with sauce hung on his chest, and he held a dishtowel in one hand.  
  
“Eames! Great to see you.”  
  
“Cheers. Dom...would you mind keeping me some company?”  
  
“Sure, neighbor!”  
  
Eames almost felt sorry for him.  
  
Once at Eames’ former home, Dom stepped in first, looking around in awe as he whistled and exclaimed,  
  
“Wow, I can’t believe I’ve never been in here before. This place is amazing.”  
  
Eames was right behind Dom with his hand behind his back, ready to reach for the glock tucked into his jeans. He looked around, listening for anything as Dom stepped inside, his hands on his hips as he kept looking around. Arthur did have a fine eye for decorating, his taste refined and elegant yet he never made Eames feel as if his opinion wasn’t important. There were hints of the both of them living there. It gave Eames a pang of longing.  
  
“Well let me give you the grand tour.”  
  
They moved throughout the house, Eames more or less mumbling through everything as they slowly headed upstairs, Eames always vigilant. Once in the master bedroom, Eames was peeking out the door, making sure no one was sneaking up behind him when he heard Dom gasping.  
  
Taking out his gun, but keeping it out of view, he ran to the bathroom and said,  
  
“What?!”  
  
Dom was waving his hands over the sinks as he said,  
  
“Duel touch sensor sinks! These are amazing! Did you install these or did you have someone come in?”  
  
Eames rolled his eyes as he tucked his gun into the back of his jeans as he said,  
  
“Had someone come in. I’m not very handy with things like that.”  
  
While Dom was distracted and in awe, Eames worked quickly, looking through Arthur’s things, opening his night stand drawer, then going to Arthur’s side of the closet, pulling open more drawers, running his hands over the tops of shelves, feeling nothing. He stepped back out into the bedroom and saw his pajama top - Arthur’s pajama top - lying on the bed from where he had thrown it last. He picked it up and brought it to his nose, inhaling Arthur’s scent, instantly feeling Arthur against him. He moved it back while he ran his thumb over the collar of the shirt as he mumbled softly to himself,  
  
“He’s not my husband anymore…”  
  
He kept running his thumb over the soft fabric until he heard Dom ask,  
  
“So, what’s your secret?”  
  
Eames looked up from the shirt as he saw Dom standing near the bathroom door.  
  
“You can tell me, come on. We’re neighbors.”  
  
Eames smiled at him a bit as he noticed the phone on Arthur’s side of the bed, turned towards him and the indent where Arthur once sat.  
  
“Well, Dom….you’ve just got to pay attention to the details.”  
  
Eames walked over, throwing Arthur’s pajama top on the bed again as he sat down and picked up the phone, hitting redial. Dom watched him before wandering into the closet, gasping again, mumbling about the size of the walk-in.  
  
Eames waited as the line rang for a moment until he heard,  
  
“Browning Real Estate.”  
  
“Hi, I’m calling for Red Die Systems.”  
  
“Oh yes, how’s the new space working for you?”  
  
Eames smirked to himself.  
  
“Fine, just fine.”  
  
+  
  
It was bright and early the next day. Eames smoked a cigarette as he made his way to the large building before him, carrying a briefcase in one hand and newspaper in the other. Along with his suit he wore a pair of aviators, which he kept on as he walked past a large sign - ‘Browning Real Estate’ - with a SOLD sign right under it. Eames inhaled the last of his cigarette before letting it drop from his mouth, and exhaled just as he entered the skyscraper. He walked across the empty lobby, where some walls were covered with plastic tarp as if repair was still being done on it. He whistled as he approached the elevator and reached up with the hand holding the newspaper to press the button. He hummed, looking down at his shoes, appreciating the shine and quality. When the doors opened, he stepped in and, glancing at his paper, he pressed the floor he needed and waited.  
  
As the elevator moved towards fifty, dinging with each passing floor, Eames tucked the paper under his arm and whistled when the elevator stopped - right between forty-nine and fifty. He stopped whistling and looked at the panel when the speaker crackled and a man’s voice came through.  
  
“Sir, this is security. There seems to be trouble with your elevator. It’ll be just a few minutes.”  
  
“No rush. I’m quite comfortable.”  
  
He looked up at the corner of the elevator where the camera was focusing in and out. Eames removed his aviators then, tucking them into the inner coat pocket of his suit.  
  
“Is that sarcasm sir?”  
  
Eames grinned at the camera, knowing it was Arthur speaking to him, despite the slight modification in the depth of his voice.  
  
“Are you sure you’re comfortable?”  
  
“Of course I am, darling.”  
  
There was a pause and then Arthur’s voice filled the elevator.  
  
“Mmm. You were always versitile.”  
  
“Why don’t you come out and face me, Arthur.”  
  
“Why should I when I have you cornered?”  
  
Eames set his briefcase down and went to the doors, trying to slot his fingers through but it was a no go. He glanced up at the emergency hatch but it was too high up. As he looked up, he heard Arthur again.  
  
“Now this is your first and last warning, Eames.”  
  
“You know I’m not going anywhere, baby.”  
  
“So you say. But you’re trapped in a box dangling some fifty floors in the air.”  
  
Eames looked at the camera directly again as he asked,  
  
“So this was a trap?”  
  
“As if I would just leave sensitive information like that just lying around. I thought you smarter than that Mr. Eames.”  
  
Eames reached up to the hatch again, falling short as he huffed then gave a little laugh.  
  
“So what do you have up there, sweetheart? A shape charger on the counterweight cable and two more on the first and secondary brakes? Because if that’s your game, I’ll have you know, it’s not going to work.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“You always underestimate me. You have no idea what I’m truly capable of.”  
  
“Likewise. First and last warning, William.”  
  
Eames’ grin faltered just a bit. Arthur hardly called him by his first name - only when he was insanely angry with him. He kept looking at the camera, his arms crossed, his hands tucked under his arms.  
  
“Go on then. Blow it.”  
  
“What?”  
  
He could hear the surprise in Arthur’s voice.  
  
“Go on, blow it. I dare you to.”  
  
“You think I won’t?”  
  
Arthur began to count down as Eames waited, watching the camera, looking smug.  
  
Three...two...one...zero!”  
  
There was a pause and Eames laughed.  
  
“I told you, you wouldn’t.”  
  
Suddenly, there was a blast and the camera blacked out after a rattle and Arthur watched as Eames was thrown off his feet just before the scene flickered out.


	7. Chapter 7

  
Arthur sat at a table alone at Le Cirque.  
  
The fresh white linen tablecloth was smooth under his fingertips and the lighting was soft; he could hear the soft clinks and clatter of people eating, while violin music played in the background. This was Arthur’s favorite restaurant - had been for years. This was where Eames had often taken him for his birthday, for anniversaries or when Eames just wanted to romance him.  
  
After being led to his table by the maitre’d and ordering champagne, Arthur waited, looking down at the single candle flickering in the center of the table. He was poured his first glass and Arthur took a sip before looking around.  
  
Couples. Everywhere his eyes landed he saw couples, young and old, so in love, and Arthur had never felt more alone in his life.  
  
He closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to be weak as he sighed and felt tears gather in his eyes. He reached up to his eyes, dabbing under them to stop the flow before sniffling slightly and picking up his glass again, to finish the last of his champagne. He could feel the maitre’d standing beside him picking up the bottle so Arthur held his glass out and let him refill it. As Arthur took another drink, he heard,  
  
“Did you miss me, my love?”  
  
Arthur left the glass at his mouth as he watched Eames join him, sitting across from him as if nothing had changed. Eames could easily read his face despite everything and he smiled slightly, letting Arthur take in the sight of him.  
  
Eames wore his best Dunhill suit - black with a white oxford underneath. His hair was combed neatly and his face was freshly shaved. He knew Arthur loved to see him dressed to his best.  
  
“Impressed? You can admit it.”  
  
Arthur set his glass down as he murmured,  
  
“Amazed...”  
  
“Amazed I’m alive?”  
  
“Amazed you had time to shave.”  
  
He looked up at Eames with a sharp little smile as Eames shook his head a little, amused.  
  
“Well, I’ve always been full of surprises.”  
  
“Certainly.”  
  
As Eames picked up one of the perfectly folded linen napkins and swept it across his lap, he settled his glock on the top of his legs, pointing it towards Arthur. He watched Arthur do the same as they both looked at each other.  
  
“So…”  
  
“So.”  
  
“Hands on the table?” asked Arthur.  
  
Eames paused and then nodded, lifting his hands on the table as he poured himself a flute of champagne, then topped off Arthur’s. They smiled at each other as Arthur lifted his flute to his lips and took a drink. Eames did the same as Arthur asked,  
  
“How did you know I would be here?”  
  
Eames settled his flute back down on the table before he folded his hands on the table, clear for Arthur to see as he answered.  
  
“Well, my love, this is your favorite restaurant. I took you here often enough, especially on special occasions and our anniversary is a day away so I imagined you would be a touch sentimental.”  
  
He could see Arthur’s eyes harden before they cut away. He took another drink as Eames then said,  
  
“We should talk.”  
  
“There’s nothing to talk about.”  
  
“Sure there is. We need to talk about us.”  
  
“There is no us.”  
  
“You’re still Mr. Eames.”  
  
“So are you, what’s your point?”  
  
“There’s nothing left between us?”  
  
“Just a table.”  
  
Before Eames had a chance to retort, the waiter appeared.  
  
“Are you ready to order?”  
  
“Yes, my husband…” Eames made finger quotes around the word husband before he continued. “...will have the clams. I’ll have the t-bone steak.”  
  
“Excellent choice sir. How would you like that cooked?”  
  
Arthur interrupted then, his eyes still trained on Eames’ eyes.  
  
“He’ll have it medium well.”  
  
The waiter nodded and left.  
  
+  
  
It was almost like an awkward first date, there was a self-conscious silence as they looked anywhere but at each other while they waited for their food to arrive. As they drank champagne to pass the time, Eames noticed Arthur’s hand on the table, his wedding band still on. Eames felt a flicker in his heart as he looked to his own hand.  
  
Arthur looked at him now, his hands on the table, his fingers covering his band when he noticed Eames wearing his own band. Suddenly, he felt Eames’ hand covering his and he looked up at him.  
  
“Tell me, something Arthur. Was it hard for you to lie to me all these years?”  
  
“There could be fifty betrayals in a happy marriage so long as they’re all yours.”  
  
“Why do you care if I was just cover?”  
  
“I could ask you the same thing.”  
  
“Who said you were just cover?”  
  
“Well, wasn’t I?”  
  
“Wasn’t I?”  
  
“Let’s say it together.”  
  
Arthur nodded as they counted down from three but at the end, there was no response from either one of them. The waiter then appeared with their meals and set them down in front of them as they let go of each other’s hands and began to eat.  
  
Halfway through the meal, Arthur said,  
  
“You didn’t say anything.”  
  
“Neither did you.”  
  
Eames looked down, cutting his steak as he continued to eat.  
  
+  
  
The second Arthur finished, he brought his napkin to his mouth as he got up and said,  
  
“I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”  
  
He left without another word and Eames watched him leave and turn a corner until he was out of sight. He knew it was probably a mistake let him go, but Arthur could have left at any given point during the meal, why would he go now?  
  
He finished his steak and picked up his champagne flute again, taking a drink and rubbing his thumb against the back of his wedding band. As he set the flute back down, he whispered to himself,  
  
“He’s not my husband anymore...he’s not my husband…”  
  
But the more he repeated the mantra to himself, he found the words hurt him.  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud, high pitched alarm and Eames was immediately on guard as the sprinklers went off, raining down on the patrons while the waiters began to lead everyone out. Eames got up and amidst the crowd of people and the rush of water he was able to see Arthur already making his escape.  
  
“Oh, you minx…”  
  
Eames followed him out but once on the street, Arthur was nowhere to be found.  
  
+  
  
Eames was soaked as he shook his arms out, suit ruined as he ran his hand over his face. There were firetrucks already approaching the restaurant, sirens blaring as a horn beeped, catching Eames’ attention when he saw it was Yusuf.  
  
Eames got in and closed the door behind him as Yusuf pulled off and asked,  
  
“How did it go?”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
“Saito got in touch with us. He said that-”  
  
Eames cut him off as he held his hand up to Yusuf’s profile.  
  
“I don’t want to talk about it.”  
  
“You have to finish the job.”  
  
“Fuck, Yusuf I know! Pull over!”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Pull over. Get out.”  
  
Yusuf did as he was told. He looked at Eames as he said,  
  
“What?”  
  
“I can’t ask you to come with me. It’s dangerous.”  
  
“You shouldn’t worry about me, I’m fine.”  
  
“Well I’m not fine! I’m far from fucking fine!”  
  
Yusuf sighed as he got out and then watched Eames climb over to the driver’s seat. Eames closed the door as Yusuf leaned down to the window and he looked at Eames, a serious, concerned look in his eye.  
  
“Your name is on the docket at dawn. Class one, open contract. You have to finish the job and quickly.”  
  
Eames slammed the car into gear and drove off.  
  
+  
  
Eames was speeding on the West Side highway, the world around him a blur as he took his cell phone and brought it to his ear after dialing Arthur’s number. When Arthur picked up, he said,  
  
“I’m on my way home. I’m going to destroy whatever we had there together.”  
  
“Race you there.”  
  
He could hear Arthur’s smile on the phone and Eames couldn’t help but smile in return. When he noticed that Arthur didn’t hang up, he said,  
  
“Let me ask you something. What was the first thing you thought when we first met?”  
  
Everything on Arthur’s side was silent though Eames knew he was probably on his way to their home. He checked to see if Arthur was still on the line and then listened, hearing him sigh ever so softly, so he continued.  
  
“I’ll tell you what I thought. I thought, God, he’s beautiful. He’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my life. Please let him be legal and even if he’s not, he’d be worth going to hell for.”  
  
He heard Arthur chuckle softly on the other end, but it was brief and light and gone almost as fast as Eames heard it.  
  
“Why are you telling me this?”  
  
“Because at the end, you start thinking about the beginning. And despite what you may think, about everything, about me, you need to know that truth. So...tell me. The truth.”  
  
Arthur was silent for a moment before he answered,  
  
“I thought...what a perfect target.”  
  
Eames sighed, feeling let down but it made it easier to focus now.  
  
“So it was all business from the get go.”  
  
“All business. Calculated. Planned. You were perfect cover.”  
  
It hurt far more than Eames expected but he nodded, resolved to the fate that lay before him.  
  
“Thank you, darling. It’s what I needed to hear.”  
  
He hung up then, throwing the phone on the passenger side as he floored it.  



	8. Chapter 8

Home sweet home.  
  
Despite having been there before, knowing he was there to finish his marriage made Eames a bit more sentimental.  
  
He didn’t have long however, before he heard the roar of another car, the screeching of tires, as Arthur slammed into Eames’ sedan.  
  
Eames cursed and recovered, shaking his head as he watched Arthur climb out of the car and race to the house. Eames followed immediately, pulling himself together long enough to tuck his glock back in his pants before running to the shed. There, he knelt down on the floor and opened a trap door jumping down and flipped on the light - only to see bare walls, and he felt sucker punched. He felt his shoulders slump as he cursed again and then rushed back up, where he ducked behind the shed again before running to the backdoor. He peered through and waited, taking hold of his gun and peeking over the corner of the kitchen to the hallway. Arthur fired immediately.  
  
Eames pulled back just in time and returned fire as he ran to the other side of the kitchen, dashing into the dining room. Arthur followed as Eames flipped over the dinner table, ducking behind it for cover as he fired off another shot while he watched Arthur come into the room then backpedal into the kitchen. Eames took that time to crawl further down the dining room, where he reached into the mantel, finding a loose stone that he pulled apart and took out some spare clips, which he slid into his pockets.  
  
Arthur was patient and hiding, ducking down around the corner and listening closely. He could hear the floor creaking somewhere but as he turned, knowing Eames was just coming around full circle, it was too late. Eames ran at him and kicked, throwing Arthur off balance with a groan, his guard down as Eames swung, knocking his gun out of his hand when Arthur stumbled back. Arthur quickly regained his senses and ducked when he saw Eames swinging his elbow towards him. As he ducked, he heard the thud of bone slamming against the corner of the wall.  
  
Arthur fought back, shoving Eames into the hallway and picking up the lamp on a side table, slamming it over Eames’ head and shattering it. He picked up another object, a small crystal dish, watching Eames try to cover his head as Arthur slammed the dish over his arms. Eames growled, grabbing Arthur by his coat and slamming him against the wall to his left, then his right, before dragging him back into the dining room and throwing him over the table.  
  
Eames heard Arthur crash over the plates and glasses and then lift himself up on shaky arms. Eames walked around him, watching him struggle to get up as Eames put his guard up and grinned.  
  
“Come on, baby…come to daddy.”  
  
Arthur growled and he pulled off his coat, throwing it to the side as he picked up a serving platter with a cloth napkin and turned, slamming it against Eames’ face. He immediately dropped it and swung the napkin around Eames’ neck, forcing him forward as Arthur head butted him, further disorienting him before Arthur stepped back and kicked Eames hard in the stomach and sent him flying into the china cabinet, shattering the glass and dishware inside. Eames collapsed in a heap, gasping for air as Arthur grinned at him.  
  
“Who’s your daddy now?”  
  
Arthur then turned and ran, trying to return to his gun that had been smacked out of his hand. Eames followed, pulling the napkin off himself. He saw Arthur pick up his weapon as he slid across the floor and started to turn, only to have Eames kick the gun from his hand, sliding into him as he threw the first punch. Arthur’s legs wrapped around Eames as he flipped them both over and Arthur began to punch him back, each blow hard and relentless. As Arthur pulled back to deliver another hit, Eames flipped them back over and threw another hit just before Arthur sat up, grabbed Eames around his neck and choked him, pulling Eames down to lock him in place.  
  
Eames pressed his hands to the floor and lifted himself up to his feet. Arthur didn’t let go so Eames slammed the both of them against the wall - Arthur first - making him take the brunt of the blow before pulling back and slamming him against the grandfather clock that had once decorated their home. The crack and groan of the wood was loud, and so was Arthur’s cry of pain as Eames spun them around and finally slammed him onto the side table in the living room. The mirror that hung on the wall there broke when Arthur’s back smashed into it and Eames pulled back, a bit shaky on his feet as Arthur closed his eyes in pain, looking down. His hands reached for something, anything, and found two of the vases he hadn’t broken, which he threw directly at Eames’ head. Eames managed to block one but caught the other against the side of his head, and immediately lunged back at Arthur.  
  
Eames felt Arthur clinging to him - throwing punches against his back and chest - so Eames began to hit Arthur back just as hard, against his legs, his sides, until he lost his balance and fell on the couch, grabbing the top of and turning it onto its side, spilling the both of them onto the floor.  
  
Arthur took the advantage of the position and sat up, letting punches fly as he hit Eames again and again until Eames reached up and grabbed Arthur’s hair. Eames yanked him down with considerable force, jamming his face into the couch cushions before he stood up and kicked Arthur right in his side. Arthur groaned and turned to avoid it, just to catch another kick right in the stomach. When Eames went to strike him again, Arthur instantly sat up just enough to throw a punch and hit Eames right in the balls.  
  
Eames cupped himself, feeling the pain race through him as he fell to his knees and collapsed on his side while Arthur began to pull himself up, using the couch to lean against. Eames groaned and gradually pulled himself up to his knees, using one hand to grab a hold of the couch as a crutch. Both in pain, bloody and wounded, they didn’t realize they were both trying to get up until they saw each other.  
  
They both staggered to their feet, ready to fight again - Eames wobbling but his guard up, Arthur the same despite his need to double over. He saw Eames’ eyes flicker over to the side and Arthur knew what he was going to do, so he jumped over the couch just as Eames started running to the side. He slid on his knees, reaching over as Eames grabbed Arthur’s gun. Arthur saw Eames’ gun where he had dropped it, and reached for it quickly.  
  
In a matter of moments, they were both back up, turned and facing each other, guns pointed at one another.  
  
Each had their fingers on the triggers, eyes steady and hard, but as Eames looked at Arthur - seeing the cuts on his face, the bruises already forming on his throat, on his wrists and forearms - all Eames could see was his husband. Despite all his training, all his years of brutal killing, all his work, he knew the one mark he couldn’t take down would be Arthur. He loved him, even if Arthur didn’t love him back, and his hand began to shake.  
  
He frowned a bit and lowered his gun as he muttered,  
  
“I can’t.”  
  
“No! Come on!”  
  
Eames put the safety on the gun as he looked down and saw Arthur’s face crumbling, his resolve being torn down.  
  
“Come on! Pick it up!”  
  
“I can’t. If you want it, it’s yours but I can’t. I rather die by your hand than kill you.”  
  
Tears welled up in his eyes as Arthur’s arm started to shake, and Eames knew that Arthur couldn’t do it either.  
  
Eames slapped the gun out of Arthur’s hand as he lunged forward and cupped Arthur’s face, kissing him hard. The tension of the fight, of the possibility of having to kill each other all came to a head as they held onto each other. They were hungry, starved for each other and as they kissed, Eames knew Arthur was all talk, he couldn’t kill him either, they loved each other and everything they had in their past was real.  
  
Their past was real - their love, their marriage was real - and Eames pulled him closer, then picked him up, leading him to the table where moments ago Eames had been battered. He felt Arthur pulling at his tie, loosening it and undoing all of the buttons on Eames’ ruined shirt, while Eames worked on his pants, tugging them down as Arthur kicked off his shoes. He pushed himself up as Eames took off his dress shirt, flinging it to the side as he held Arthur by his waist, pinning him against the wall, moving down the hallway once again only now, it was full of want and desire.  
  
Arthur suddenly pushed Eames back as he went to Eames’ pants, undoing them as Eames looked at him, bringing his hand to Arthur’s hair and running his fingers through his curls until Arthur leaned up for another kiss. It was frantic and full of need and Eames knew he couldn’t go on the rest of his life without ever kissing Arthur again. He picked Arthur up again and walked them back until they were both in the kitchen again. He set Arthur down on the counter after sweeping whatever was left there with one hand and yanked Arthur’s pants off completely. Arthur didn’t miss a beat, pulling his briefs down and letting them fall to the floor as Eames covered him again, his hands on Arthur’s well toned body, his open dress shirt falling off his shoulder, looking wrecked and ravished already. He opened his legs and pulled Eames back to him, reaching down into his pants, feeling him hard already.  
  
“There’s no lube here, darling…”  
  
“Check the drawer…”  
  
Eames grinned softly against his lips and brought his hand up to Arthur’s mouth, letting Arthur suck and lick at his fingers as Arthur jerked him slowly, humming softly. Eames sighed, letting his hand move back as he moved his attention to the drawer in the counter and yanked it open, nearly tearing it out as he found the spare lube packet. Leave it to Arthur to always be prepared - whatever the situation. After tearing the top open with his teeth, he coated his fingers and slipped them between Arthur’s thighs, his fingers pushing gently against his hole. Arthur groaned as he arched his back, edging closer to the counter as he lay back, moaning loudly as the first finger breached him.  
  
He took his time, slowly spreading him open, wanting to prepare Arthur properly, and when Arthur’s hips were stuttering, Eames moved his hand back and shoved his pants and underwear down just enough to release his cock. Eames guided his cock inside his husband, hearing Arthur gasp and then moan, reaching down to one of his legs as he held it up and open for Eames. It was slow at first, gentle even, until Arthur was used to him again and he urged Eames to go harder. Arthur put his hands on Eames’ forearms and dug his nails into Eames’ skin as he cried out; his legs wrapped around Eames’ waist to pull him closer each time Eames moved back to thrust forward again.  
  
Eames leaned down and kissed Arthur’s open mouth, drinking in his moans as Arthur groaned softly against him. Eames felt him clench around his dick, wanting to keep Eames inside him and pulling him in deeper as Arthur’s arms reached up and dragged Eames closer, biting at Eames’ plush lips and moaning,  
  
“More...more…”  
  
Eames sat him up, feeling Arthur’s arm stay around his neck as Arthur pushed back, having leverage as he held onto the counter edge. They moaned against each other’s mouths, feeling as if they were teenagers - trying to come before they were caught, messy and dirty and fast. As Eames felt the impending orgasm, he held onto Arthur tightly, his eyes closing as he panted, their movements in sync as Arthur whined against his ear, teeth scraping near his jaw as he whispered,  
  
“Close…”  
  
“I got you, baby…”  
  
And as he said it, he realized he did, he always had, and there was such a surge of emotion as he realized he wasn’t losing Arthur...their life together wasn’t a lie. Arthur was his husband.  
  
He heard Arthur come, felt the wetness of his come against his own stomach and as Arthur clenched around him, Eames came too. He shivered, his breathing frantic as he struggled to keep them up. He slowly pulled out as Arthur whined a little, still holding onto Eames. Eames held him tightly, picking him off the counter as he settled them on the floor, exhausted, no longer caring about anything else.  
  
+  
  
They lay on the floor of their destroyed kitchen long enough for them to recover. After the second round Eames looked at Arthur and cupped his face as he sat on top of Eames. There was love and adoration in both their eyes, the same look that had always been there when they looked at each other.  
  
“Hey stranger.”  
  
Eames smiled at the jest, feeling Arthur’s hand on his throat, his hair a mess and falling around his eyes. He kissed Arthur softly before answering, pulling back and looking back at him.  
  
“Hi back.”  
  
They smiled at each other, feeling as if they knew each other and yet were getting to know each other all over again. He felt Arthur’s fingers tugging on his beaded necklace, the one he had always worn since meeting Arthur in Rio, the one Arthur always tugged on when they made love. Arthur smiled at it, his fingers wrapping around it as Eames leaned forward, kissing his bare shoulder. Their tender moment was interrupted however, when there was a knock on the door and Arthur looked away for a moment, sighing softly as he said,  
  
“We should get that.”  
  
Eames nodded as they slowly untangled themselves from each other, Eames grabbing his boxer briefs, sliding them on before he padded to the door, knowing Arthur would follow him. When he reached their front door, Eames held it open just enough to be visible as he saw Mal and Dom standing on their porch.  
  
“Hello there, neighbors. What can I do for you?”  
  
Dom looked instantly nervous seeing a mostly naked Eames at the door, and Mal’s eyes widened.  
  
“Oh...we heard...a racket before, and your cars…”  
  
She pointed over her shoulder as Eames tilted his head up and saw the start of his and Arthur’s fight. Eames looked back at Mal as Dom shuffled his feet a bit but Mal never looked away.  
  
“Oh, that was just an accident. Nothing to fret over.”  
  
“Well, is Arthur all right? That is his car…”  
  
She stopped short as Arthur opened the door the rest of the way and leaned on his husband’s side, wearing Eames’ button down because it was bagger and longer than his own. Eames put his arm around him as Mal said,  
  
“Oh. Oh!”  
  
Dom really blushed now as he said,  
  
“Well, we just wanted to make sure everyone was ok...we’ll leave now.”  
  
“Is everything ok? You have…” Mal pointed behind Arthur at the destruction from earlier.  
  
“We’re redecorating.” Arthur explained.  
  
Dom nodded and began pulling his wife away as she waved and said good night to them as Eames moved back and closed the door.  
  
+  
  
They grabbed a few bottles of water and some strawberries from their wrecked kitchen and sat near the stairs, Arthur lying down, his head on Eames’ lap as they talked and shared the secrets they had withheld for the past five years.  
  
“This scar was a knife fight. Almost lost my eye.”  
  
He pointed to the small cut at his eyebrow as Arthur smiled a little and said,  
  
“That trip a few years ago to Buffalo where I slipped and broke my wrist on the ice? I was in Russia taking care of Malchovich. My wrist was broken in the middle of that fight.”  
  
“You got Malchovich? Damn. I wanted him.”  
  
They both laughed and continued.  
  
“I spent a week camping in the desert of Iran looking to take out Saleen. It was a nightmare.”  
  
“I almost drowned in Cambodia when my ship was blown and I was hit was debris.”  
  
“I got hit with shrapnel in this arm during a job. I couldn’t get it out so I covered it with this tattoo.”  
  
Eames pointed to the tribal pattern on his arm as Arthur nodded, taking a bite from his strawberry.  
  
“These are false.” Arthur pointed to some side upper teeth as he continued.  
  
“They were knocked out during a high speed chase. The car collided with mine and I was slammed into the door.”  
  
“I took a knife through my palm. The ligaments were torn to ribbons, so it’s why my pinky does this.”  
  
“I always wondered about that.”  
  
“I was late to our anniversary dinner last year because I was in Japan. I called in favors to make it on time. Surprised you didn’t hear the chopper dropping me off.”  
  
Arthur thought about it for a moment before he said,  
  
“Oh. I had temporarily lost hearing from some concussion grenades, it was a struggle to hear things that night.”  
  
Eames laughed softly as he looked at Arthur, running his fingers through his hair. They looked at each other, smiling still as Eames held Arthur’s hand.  
  
“I love you. Have always loved you.”  
  
“I love you too. Our marriage, our life...is the best thing that ever happened to me. I thought of quitting so many times…but…”  
  
He trailed off and Eames understood. It was the same reason he didn’t actually quit - the risk, the rush of his job. It was too much to give up. Though now it seemed he would have to.  
  
He glanced at his watch, seeing it was nearly dawn and he sat up quickly.  
  
“Fuck. We have to go.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
Arthur started to stand up as Eames said,  
  
“Yusuf warned me my name would be on the docket come dawn and-”  
  
He was cut off when they heard the shuffling of feet outside, slowly being surrounded. Arthur instantly understood as Eames picked up his glock from the floor. They ran to the kitchen just as something broke through the front windows. Eames turned, grabbing Arthur’s hand just when he saw the smoke grenades going off.


	9. Chapter 9

In the kitchen, they got dressed as quickly as possible in the clothes they had tossed about the previous night; but having abandoned their shoes early on, they made do with the shirts and pants. They quickly took cover behind the island counter of the kitchen while Arthur opened the cabinet under the sink and reached in, his arm bent upwards as he tugged and pulled back.  
  
For a moment, Eames thought he was pulling loose a pipe until a rifle was revealed.  
  
“You kept that under the sink?”  
  
“It was in case of emergency. I would call this an emergency, wouldn’t you?”  
  
Eames sighed as he looked up over the counter and saw Saito’s men walking about. He listened for anything as some of the men began heading upstairs while the living room gradually got cloudier. Arthur suddenly stood up and whistled, getting the attention of Saito’s man closest to the kitchen as he fired.  
  
The reign of bullets began as explosions roared above and Eames grabbed Arthur, pulling him towards the back door as pieces of the upstairs floor began crumbling down into the first floor. Eames ripped open the door and shoved Arthur out, then followed just as more of the ceiling gave away. He didn’t have to look back to know the house was breaking apart and sinking into itself. Once outside, they were both dazed, trying to focus on where to go as they saw the silhouettes of the assassins coming towards them.  
  
“We need a car!”  
  
Eames nodded and they looked at each other, thinking the same thing as they ran. The Cobbs were just two houses down and as they both leapt over the dividing fence of their neighbors they heard the bite of the bullets hitting the wood, splintering it right below them while they continued dashing across the yard to the Cobb’s driveway and to the awaiting minivan. Eames stopped right at the driver’s side door and broke the window with his elbow before he opened the door and jumped in while also opening the passenger side for Arthur. Eames started to hot-wire the car, hearing the engine turn once just as a bullet tore through the side of the car. They jumped, startled, as Eames finally got the car going and tore off.  
  
Eames concentrated on driving; his entire body was sore and battered but now he was wired. He knew this feeling - only now when he glanced over, he saw Arthur sitting beside him, his hair catching all the wind from the shot out window. He had bruises on his neck and on his wrists as he cradled the rifle against him and he was still the most beautiful person Eames had ever seen. He focused back on the road, heading towards the highway, Saito’s men hot on their tail as they began to fire at the minivan. Eames took the ramp to the highway, trying to evade the bullets as best as he could, but the bullets still ricocheted off the van.  
  
“Can’t this thing go any faster?!” Shouted Arthur.  
  
“Don’t bother daddy while he’s driving, kitten!”  
  
Arthur rolled his eyes as he got up and went to the sliding door of the minivan, pushing the dry cleaning out of the way before looking out the nearly shattered back window.  
  
“That sedan is close!”  
  
Eames only glanced up once to see the silver sedan charging at them and Eames floored it, getting ahead as Arthur fell back on the seat, cursing slightly.  
  
“Baby, hold it steady!”  
  
“It’s called evasive driving, sweetheart!” Eames shouted back.  
  
After falling over again, Arthur grumbled and got back up, kneeling beside Eames as he said,  
  
“Let me drive.”  
  
“I got it.”  
  
“Baby...let me drive. I know what I’m doing.”  
  
Eames sighed as he rolled his eyes and said,  
  
“Fine.”  
  
Eames slowly slide out of the seat as Arthur climbed over his lap, grabbing the wheel when Eames finally got out of the seat and Arthur was able to sit. He was much better at driving the minivan than Eames was - though he wouldn’t admit that just yet. Eames crawled over to the back of the van, removing his glock from the back of his pants and opening the sliding door as he leaned out and began to fire at the sedan and other cars chasing after them. His aim was flawless but his bullets dinged off like nothing – with a start, he realized they were bulletproof. He sat back up, closing the door again as he turned to Arthur and said,  
  
“They’re bulletproof!”  
  
Arthur rolled his eyes as he replied,  
  
“Of course they are!”  
  
Eames got up to the front again, hitting the button in the upper console that would open the back door of the van while he steadied himself as best he could, aiming for the windshield as he received fire back at him. He fired until he ran out of bullets, then closed the door again as he ducked down and dumped his empty magazine clip and reached into his pockets, feeling relief his spares had not fallen out in the chase or fight. As he reloaded, he looked up at Arthur and said,  
  
“You know...I should tell you...I was engaged once before.”  
  
Arthur suddenly slammed on the brakes, letting the other cars chasing them ram into the car, nearly under them, as Eames flew back into the passenger seat from the sudden and violent jolt when Arthur began hitting him.  
  
“Ow! Are you out of your mind? What’s the matter with you?!”  
  
Arthur kept one hand on the wheel as he kept hitting Eames.  
  
“You’re with what’s the matter with me!”  
  
“It was for cover!”  
  
“Oh that’s better! That’s much better!”  
  
He kept hitting Eames even as he climbed out of the seat as he grabbed one of Dom’s golf clubs that slid forward from the jolt as he held it up and said,  
  
“Stop it!”  
  
Arthur glared at Eames as he put his hand on the wheel and Eames climbed up and over the seat, heading towards the back just as one of Saito’s men climbed up from the sunroof. Eames struck him with the golf club just as the other man started to draw his gun. Eames held onto the door, hitting the assassin again until Eames noticed the grenade on the man’s chest, strapped to him along with others. He threw the club down as he reached down and pulled the pin before he jumped back in the car, shouting at Arthur to go. He ducked on the floor of the van, feeling the heat of the explosion and the glass blown out from the windows rain over him as Arthur sped away. Eames picked himself up as Arthur looked over at him and shouted,  
  
“What’s their name and social security number?”  
  
“No, you’re not going to kill them…”  
  
Arthur growled and frowned but kept his foot on the pedal, speeding down the highway until two cars attempted to box them in. Eames held onto the seat as Arthur suddenly cut the wheel and sent one of the cars into the divider, the other shoved off. Eames saw the other car still sticking to their side, one of Saito’s men standing on the side of the car with the door open, ready to lunge inside the car, so Eames opened the other side of van and let the man jump in as he grabbed him and threw him out of the other door before sliding it closed again.  
  
“Those doors are handy!”  
  
Arthur chuckled to himself as he watched Eames steady himself, the bumps and sudden lane switches throwing him off as Arthur asked,  
  
“You got it?”  
  
“I got it.”  
  
“You sure?”  
  
Eames was nearly thrown off again as Arthur hit a pothole. Arthur finally lost his patience and turned the van, spinning it to its side as he fired out of the window. Eames aimed and fired out of the open sliding door as the minivan hit the sedan and the last of the bulletproof cars chasing them. Arthur kept turning the wheel until they were facing the cars, and as the other vehicles crashed and flipped over Arthur and Eames both ceased fire while Arthur turned the van around again and continued racing down the highway.  
  
Eames shut the sliding door and got up to join Arthur in the front, taking his place in the passenger seat. Eames looked at his spouse, watching him settle the rifle beside him, his eyes never off the road. Eames had never felt more in love with him.  
  
“God...I love you, darling.”  
  
Arthur smiled a bit as he reached for Eames’ hand and Eames took it, lacing their fingers together.  
  
+  
  
They ended up at some off highway cafe and Eames called the only person he knew would be on his side, Yusuf. It took a while for Yusuf to show up and in the meantime, Arthur and Eames ordered some food and coffee all while avoiding the odd looks they were getting from their battered state and lack of shoes.  
  
Arthur had gone to the bathroom after eating to clean up some just as Yusuf came in. He held a duffle over his shoulder and he pulled up his sunglasses when he saw Eames and joined him at his booth. He slid in where Arthur was sitting before, shoving the bag in first as Eames asked,  
  
“That what I asked for?”  
  
“Yeah, everything you asked for. You look like hell.”  
  
“Well, Saito sent his best after me and-”  
  
“Still? Even though you got rid of Arthur? I thought for sure you would have cut that loss. The money alone would have made me go after him.”  
  
Eames looked past Yusuf as Arthur appeared right behind him. Yusuf looked up and he saw Arthur, his jaw dropping as he muttered,  
  
“Oh shit…”  
  
“Hello Yusuf. What about the money?”  
  
Yusuf shut his jaw when Arthur sat beside Eames and took his husband’s hand. Yusuf shook his head.  
  
“Damnit Eames…”  
  
“We’re on the run Yusuf.”  
  
“Yeah I can see that! Shit, what are you thinking?”  
  
“I’m not going to kill my husband. Arthur couldn’t either.”  
  
“And your organization isn’t after you?”  
  
“I expect them to show their faces soon enough.”  
  
Yusuf sighed, shaking his head as Arthur asked,  
  
“And you? How do I know you won’t try to claim the prize on our heads?”  
  
Yusuf scoffed.  
  
“I don’t get out of bed for less than five hundred - thousand.”  
  
Eames kicked him under the table as he scoffed.  
  
“Fucking tosser.”  
  
Yusuf then reached over to the duffle and slid the bag over to Eames, who let go of Arthur’s hand to take it. He pulled the bag onto his lap and unzipped it, seeing there was a change of clothes, two pairs of shoes, money and more weapons. Arthur looked in and then back over at Yusuf.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“I want to warn you two. Eames, your name is on the docket. Saito is gunning for you for not turning over on Arthur. And Arthur...your numbers haven’t come in yet but chances are…”  
  
“I expect that my own employers have a number already.”  
  
“Who is your employer?”  
  
Arthur paused for a moment and then looked at Eames.  
  
“Fischer.”  
  
“I fucking knew it.” Said Yusuf.  
  
Eames frowned slightly, knowing two big companies were coming after them with large numbers on their heads. Eames took his hand as he leaned closer to Arthur and kissed his brow. A waitress came over to them and Yusuf ordered breakfast as Eames and Arthur shared a moment. It was obvious to Yusuf at that moment how even now, the way they looked at each other, as if no one else in the world was with them, that they were willing to die for each other.  
  
Once the waitress returned and set Yusuf’s breakfast and coffee down, he began to eat and speak.  
  
“What you need is something bigger than the both of you.”  
  
Eames looked away from Arthur first as he said,  
  
“Bigger than us? Who?”  
  
Yusuf was chewing as he shrugged and Arthur said,  
  
“He’s right. Someone that our bosses want more than us. A trade.”  
  
“Where are we going to find that kind of leverage?”  
  
Yusuf paused to take a sip of his coffee before he said,  
  
“Nash.”  
  
They looked at Yusuf and then at each other with a smile.


	10. Chapter 10

It was the middle of the night, dark, and more over, hot.  
  
Arthur sat in an underground bunker with a laptop on his lap, his fingers flying over the keys as he attempted to hack through the system topside. He wore an earpiece as he said,  
  
“Snow White is in place. What’s your status Prince Charming?”  
  
Eames shook his head, a smile on his face as he crawled through sewers with a flashlight in hand.  
  
“These names…how did I ever let you think this was a good idea.”  
  
Arthur smiled on the other end,  
  
“Focus baby. We don’t have a lot of time.”  
  
“All right. Prince Charming in position.”  
  
There was a pause before Arthur said,  
  
“You’re good. Go.”  
  
Eames began to move, using a mechanical screwdriver to undo the screws on the grid on the pipe leading him inside. As he pulled it off and climbed in, holding the flashlight in his hand, he asked,  
  
“Did you check the perimeter?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“The police band?”  
  
“Yes, I wouldn’t let you go through without proper checks.”  
  
When Eames reached the service shaft, he climbed through and continued. There were horizontal shafts, a lot of which Eames lifted himself up through and slid on his stomach to make it to the other side as he listened to Arthur directing him.  
  
Arthur could hear his husband grunt and groan as he climbed, his breathing hard in his ear and Arthur couldn’t help but smile a bit.  
  
“You all right there, Prince Charming? You sound like you’re struggling.”  
  
“You try sliding on your belly in a vent nearly the same width as you.”  
  
“You’re close. Just one more right.”  
  
Eames grunted in response as he reached the last air conditioner vent. He pressed against it to see how much give it had before finally shoving it out of the way, hearing it clang on the floor as he pulled himself out, dropping down into a supply closet.  
  
“I’m in.”  
  
He snuck out, creeping along the floor. When he reached the door, he opened it just a crack as he reached into his vest, pulling out a small hand mirror. He held it slightly at an angle, craning his neck to see to agents standing guard at a door. He moved his hand back as he said,  
  
“I’m in position, kill the lights.”  
  
There was a longer than usual pause and Eames worried as he tapped his fingers against his piece and checked in with Arthur again.  
  
“Snow White?”  
  
“I’m here. The system is redundant...I’m working on it. Stay in position.”  
  
Eames waited, watching the other room, and listened to the guards outside chitchat among each other and the very faint and subtle clicks of Arthur furiously typing, trying to hack through the fail-safes. Eames swallowed hard, feeling his sweat trickle down his brow from exerting himself and now from the stress of waiting - so much was riding on this job and he feared things going wrong as he usually did, but now...now Arthur was on the line.  
  
There was a ding from an elevator and the doors opening as another agent stepped out carrying pizza. Eames ducked into the shadows as he listened to the agents talk to each other, one offering pizza to the others, and then silence. Eames peeked through the door again as he saw the agents had gone to another room.  
  
“Snow White, the target is open. I need the lights out now.”  
  
“Just...wait.”  
  
Eames huffed slightly as he crept to the fire alarm and waited until the lights went out. At that moment, Eames pulled the fire alarm and all hell broke lose. There were sirens blaring as the agents tried to move but Eames was out as ducked down and punched one, then kicked the second before choking out the last one, dropping him down onto the floor. He pulled his weapon as he entered the room where he turned on his night vision goggles. He looked around and found Nash on the floor, his head covered as he trembled in fear. Eames grabbed him, hearing Nash scream in fear before Eames knocked him out cold and slung him over his shoulder. He could hear the alarm cutting off suddenly and Eames took that as his cue as he headed to the elevator. He pressed his finger to his ear as he asked,  
  
“Are we clear?”  
  
“Yes, we’re good. You got him?”  
  
“I got him.”  
  
As soon as he got out of the warehouse, Arthur was already in their van ready to go. Eames opened the back, flung Nash in and closed it before joining Arthur up front.  
  
+  
  
The plan had gone off without a hitch and now they had Nash, the leverage that they needed to get their organizations to back off.  
  
At a motel, they tied Nash to a chair and when he wouldn’t wake up fast enough, Eames slapped him hard across the face. He was leaning down to look him in the eye when Nash woke up with a gasp, his head snapping upwards.  
  
“Who the fuck are you people? What’s going on?”  
  
Arthur crossed his arms as he let Eames work, sitting on the foot of the bed. Nash looked at Eames, then at Arthur before Eames snapped his fingers in front of Nash’s face.  
  
“Hey! Pay attention! Look at me.”  
  
Nash’s eyes looked back at Eames as Eames said,  
  
“Why is the FBI keeping you alive. You should be in jail or in Canada. Why are you here instead?”  
  
Nash said nothing, his lip tight as Eames sighed and stood back up. Eames rubbed at his nose for a moment as he said,  
  
“All right. We got all night.”  
  
+  
  
They ignored Nash at first, Eames running out to get them dinner, but leaving Nash hungry. They watched TV and then Eames slept while Arthur kept an eye out. Then Arthur slept while Eames stayed up and Nash began to fidget.  
  
In the morning, Arthur got them breakfast and Nash began to get vocal about being hungry but he continued being ignored. They were good at waiting, at ignoring Nash, and just passed the time being by each other. By the late afternoon, Eames tried again and Nash was close to cracking but still, he held back. Eames took another nap before dinner, Arthur watching TV as he waited and Nash finally began to talk.  
  
“Hey..hey can I have some water?”  
  
Arthur ignored him.  
  
“Hey...listen...you guys are wasting your time. I’m nothing.”  
  
Arthur got up as he picked up one the motel glasses wrapped in paper as he went to the bathroom and filled it under the tap of the sink. When he came back, he stood in front of Nash, holding the glass.  
  
“What do you mean, you’re nothing?”  
  
Nash licked his dry lips as he looked at the water in the glass. He hesitated again as he looked at Arthur’s cold eyes, patient.  
  
“I...I’m not under FBI protection. Or CIA.”  
  
Arthur brought the glass up to Nash’s mouth and tipped it forward slightly, letting him drink just a bit before pulling back. Arthur then walked back to the nightstand and woke Eames up as he said,  
  
“He’s ready to talk.”  
  
Eames woke up after a moment, getting up and walking over to Nash with Arthur. Their captive looked up at the both of them as he sighed, fidgeting a bit more as he said,  
  
“Fischer and Saito...they...they found out about you two being married. There’s a price on your heads and I was just the bait.”  
  
Eames and Arthur looked at each other as they grabbed their things and left without another word.  
  
+  
  
Arthur sped while Eames looked out the window, both of their minds racing. After a few minutes, Arthur brought the van down to a respectable speed as Eames looked at him.  
  
“Sweetheart. They know. They wanted us to roll over on each other.”  
  
“We’ve got nothing to trade but each other. They’re not going to stop until one of us is dead.”  
  
The thought left Eames cold and when they looked at each other, he could see the same concern on Arthur’s face. He reached for Eames’ hand and took hold of it. The odds were against them, insurmountable. Trapped. Eames took a breath as he said,  
  
“There’s only one thing we can do then.”  
  
Arthur looked away from the road for a moment as he asked,  
  
“What?”  
  
“We gotta take them out then.”  
  
Arthur scoffed, turning to drive as he said,  
  
“Right. Let’s just take out an army of assassins.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Are you listening to yourself? How could we possibly take out Saito and Fischer’s best?”  
  
“Because it’s us. And I believe that between the both of us we can take them down.”  
  
Arthur looked at him and sighed.  
  
“If we at least had more help…”  
  
“We don’t need help. I need you. I need you at my side. Baby, you’re Fischer’s best. I’m Saito’s. We can do it.”  
  
“There’s got to be another way.”  
  
“If you can think of it, I’m all ears.”  
  
Arthur was quiet, just driving as he began to bite his bottom lip.  
  
+  
  
Eames was sound asleep in the motel room bed. After driving for hours they had finally stopped at a motel for some rest. In the morning, Arthur climbed out of bed, letting Eames sleep as he pulled on his pants, picked up the motel room keys and left.  
  
Barefoot, he slowly walked outside and reached the first payphone he found. Quietly, Arthur picked it up and dropped some change into the slot. He dialed and waited, the phone ringing for half a beat until it picked up on the other end.  
  
“Identify.”  
  
“528491.”  
  
“Your contract has been terminated.”  
  
“I have a package for Mr. Fischer. Something he would be very interested in.”  
  
There was a pause before the voice continued.  
  
“Where do you want to make the delivery?”  
  
“Somewhere public, clean. No shots.”  
  
“Name it.”  
  
  
+  
  
Eames was dressed in his best suit, Arthur beside him as they walked towards a department store. It was dark, the only lights from certain window displays, the others from the street lights in the parking lot. Before they entered, Eames turned to Arthur and kissed his cheek.  
  
“I’ll see you inside.”  
  
Arthur turned to look at him as he smiled slightly and said,  
  
“Be careful.”  
  
“You too.”  
  
Eames gave him one more look before leaving his side, turning the corner of the store as Arthur watched him go. He then took a deep breath, centering himself as he walked up the side delivery doors and banged on them. It was a moment before they opened and Arthur was allowed inside into the darkness.  
  
There was a single overhead light he was brought to and once there, he held his arms up and was patted down, only to have his jacket removed and then patted down again. Satisfied he was unarmed, Arthur was given his coat back just as Ariadne approached him.  
  
“Where is the package?”  
  
Arthur was not at all surprised to see Ariadne there and as he put his jacket back on, he said,  
  
“Out in the store. I can walk you out there.”  
  
Ariadne looked off to the side as she then gave the nod to go, walking with Arthur out to the store floor. As they walked, Arthur looked from the sides of his eyes, trying to take stock of how many people were around him but he could only make out about ten.  
  
“I’m glad you came to your senses.”  
  
Arthur looked at Ariadne slightly, and saw she was armed, though relaxed like he was.  
  
“Of course. Was Fischer pleased?”  
  
“He was.”  
  
Arthur gave a nod as they walked out onto the store, a living room display out before them, along with the items to buy - couches, china cabinets, dining room tables, lamps, rugs, coffee tables all lay out before them. The lights were dimmed in areas but Arthur looked up to see a few of Fischer’s men in the rafters. Ariadne turned to him then and said,  
  
“I always knew you were the better hitter.”  
  
Arthur tried not to show his surprise as he said,  
  
“How so?”  
  
“Eames was careless where you were careful. It took you a little long to clean up your mess but you finished what you started.”  
  
“You knew about Eames?”  
  
“Since the Nash job.”  
  
Arthur nodded as he took a slight step to his side and turned towards Ariadne when suddenly the lights went out. Arthur ran and ducked under one of the dining room tables as chaos erupted around him, commands being shouted as Arthur turned the table over and began to make his way towards the stairwell. He ran in, shedding his coat as he reached the second floor - home improvement section - as he ran to the tool shed where he slammed the door behind him and saw Eames waiting for him. He turned towards him, feeling Eames cup his face as he kissed him, a smile on his face. When Arthur pulled away, licking his lips slightly, he sighed and said,  
  
“Keep professional Mr. Eames.”  
  
“I am. Are you ready?”  
  
Arthur nodded as Eames handed him the bag he had stashed there and Arthur began to change into a kevlar vest after taking off the button down he wore, revealing the slimmer fitting short sleeved shirt - easier to move, less material to snag on. He put on gloves to better handle his weapons and yellow tinted glasses to have better sight and to avoid debris hitting him in the eyes. After making sure he was protected, Eames armed him.  
  
It was all done in a matter of moments and in that time they both heard the rest of the assassins filling up the floor. They looked at each other and gave each other one more kiss before Arthur kicked open the shed door and ran out. They fired their weapons, Arthur to the left, Eames to right, in a wide spray of bullets, taking out the first wave.  
  
As Eames came back around, firing a new wave, Arthur ducked at the right moment, the bullets hitting the assassins behind Arthur. They switched places, Arthur taking aim at the men on the rafters as Eames saw what looked like a launcher and pulled Arthur down by the back of his vest. Arthur didn’t resist, just followed his husband’s movement as he ducked his head and they both felt the heat of the blast.  
  
Eames let his Uzi hang from the strap it hung on around his shoulder as Arthur did the same and they both withdrew handguns. Eames stood, his arms extended out to his sides as Arthur stood in front of him, his arms under Eames’ as he fired at the men behind his husband. Eames then began to fire over Arthur’s shoulders, looking at his spouse with deep affection.  
  
He would die protecting Arthur; he knew it at that moment and Arthur, for him. Arthur smiled at him as Eames gave him a nod and they both turned back to back, firing again, Eames looking at his left, Arthur to his right as they moved perfectly with each other in a full circle.  
  
They both ducked when percussion grenades were thrown and went off and Eames rose as he grabbed the end of the rifle Arthur had strapped to his back. He fired back a few rounds, Arthur moving with him until Eames let go and Arthur was standing straight up, back to back with Eames again as they continued moving in unison. Whoever Arthur missed, Eames got - whoever Eames missed, Arthur got. Paint cans burst from the impact of bullets, spreading across the floor. Shelving units shattered, cabinets splintering with every new hole added as Eames’ moved across the floor. They were a team, reading each other’s thoughts and when Eames’ weapon was empty, he dropped the magazine and looked up to see Arthur tossing him a fresh one. He caught it and as he popped it back in Arthur covered him, killing the assassins who started moving closer to them, throwing down his empty gun and reaching behind him for another as he fired another round, the both of them aiming for the head or neck, knowing vests were in play.  
  
As another grenade was thrown, they both turned away from it, Eames throwing his arm up to protect the both of them, feeling the debris cutting his skin as Arthur lifted his gun up to aim at who threw the grenade. They move across the floor into a near by aisle, the chipboard wardrobe giving them cover as they fire methodically, hardly missing each target. They have a rhythm, an unbreakable tempo and trust in each other, following each other’s movement - like a dance.  
  
Suddenly, the firing stopped. Arthur and Eames listened, hearing only faint panting in the distance and themselves. They look around, waiting to hear, to see anyone left and instead heard nothing. Each had their weapons still aimed, fingers on the trigger until Eames finally spoke.  
  
“I think we’re the only game left.”  
  
Arthur licked his lips as he gave a little smile.  
  
“I believe we are…”  
  
  
+  
  
Epilogue  
  
  
Their home had been rebuilt.  
  
Everything that had once been there was restored only now, there were no lies.  
  
In the morning, Eames stepped out of his house, wearing his robe and boxers, picked up the newspaper and went back inside, sitting at the table as Arthur served him breakfast. Only now, neither one rushed off to work.  
  
While they did have some explaining to their neighbors (burst gas pipe) it was almost as if nothing happened.  
  
They settled with their former organizations, terminating their contracts with the promise that they would not be hunted anymore. Having proven that they could exterminate anyone thrown at them, each organization agreed.  
  
They were out and even though they were out, Eames didn’t miss it. Arthur didn’t either. They didn’t have time to miss it with the house renovations, the decorating and getting to know each other all over again.  
  
Their memories were still real and they built on that, making more between them with each passing day, falling deeper in love.  
  
At a dinner party at the Cobbs house a few months later, the whole incident behind them, Eames stood with some of the other men, smoking cigars and talking while Arthur chatted with Mal, both of them in eyesight of each other. While the group chatted, Dom leaned closer to Eames as he whispered,  
  
“You guys seem happier these days.”  
  
Eames looked a bit surprised, mostly because Dom picked up on it.  
  
“We are. We’ve always been happy but, I don’t know, I guess the new changes did us some good.”  
  
Dom nodded as he took a puff of his cigar and Eames looked at Arthur again as they exchanged a smile.  
  
“Can I ask you something a little more...uh personal?”  
  
“Sure, mate.”  
  
Dom looked around for a moment before leaning closer and asking,  
  
“How often do you guys...uh...you know…”  
  
Eames chuckled as he put his cigar in his mouth and held his hand up, the right holding up five fingers. Dom’s eyes widened as asked,  
  
“A day!?”  
  
“If it’s a busy day. We do have lives outside our home, Dom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta-ed by the always wonderful [Sara](http://baskervelle.tumblr.com) whom I love and adore and am so so thankful for, for always beta-ing my multi chapter fics and tolerating my horrendous grammar and spelling. <3
> 
> Follow me on [tumblr](http://lolahardy.tumblr.com)! I won't bite. Unless you're into that.


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